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Captain GROOMt 
First Lieutenant Rrowninc; Second Lieutenant McFaduen 



CAMPAIGN 



OF THE 



First Troop 
Philadelphia City Cavalry 

APRIL 2^— NOVEMBER I I 
^ • 1898 



I 



JAMES COOPER 



PHILADELPHIA: 

HALLOWELL CO. LTD., PUBLISHERS 

14 South Fifth Street 






For all that is good in this little hook ack>iowledg>neitt is due 
to Captain John C. Groouie, Lieutenant J. Frank McFadden, 
Lieutenant J. Willis J/artin, Sergeant John Wagner, Jr., 
Sergeant Robert IL Glendinning, F. B. Neilso)i, T. ]]\illis 
Hnidekopcr, Lfngh Craig, Jr., and the publisher. They have 
provided the photographs and practically all the material used. 
Ma)iy passages are taken entirely from letters and other writ- 
ings of these Troopers. The rvriter' s personal observations 
merely covered the time of the Troop\% stay at Ml. Gretna, 
Camp Alger and Neivport Neivs. 

&1A 



CONTENTS 



CHAP. "^^^ 

I. THE Call to Arms .... 9 

11. The troop at Mt. Gretna . . . i8 

III. departure for Camp Alger . . 32 

IV. First days at Camp Alger ... 37 

V. Camp Alger and Newport news . 46 

VI. life Aboard a troop Ship ... 56 

VII. In the Enemy's country ... 65 
VIII. The Fight that Failed ... 74 

IX. AFTER the Battle .... 83 

X. Home again ..... 99 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE 
Captain Grnome. Lieuts. Browning and M^Fadden, . . . frontispiece 

Troopers Camp at Mt. Gretna '7 

Pistol Practice at Camp Hastings 3° 

V A Lesson in Horse Tlirowing 34 

^ Having Fun with " Hazel," 39 

>•' Glimpse into a Troop Ship. 5^ 

"' Cathedral Virgin del Carmen, 62 

^' Bivouac Outside Cathedral Virgin del Carmen 63 

/ Bringing the Horses Ashore at Ponce, °5 

V Camp at Arrox'o "' 

/ En Route to the Battlefield.- Military Road from Guayama to CaRey, . 77 

^ "Camp Esperanca."— Guayama in the Distance 85 

/ At the Beach near Guayama ^7 

Return Along the Road from Guayama to Ponce, 93 

'^ Hacienda Carmen 99 

V Sergeant's Club at Guayama '°3 



CHAPTER I. 

THE CALL TO ARMS. 

WHEN the members of the First Troop of Phila- 
delphia City Cavalry were summoned to 
prepare for the annual inspection, on April 23rd, 1898, 
there was but one great topic of conversation among 
the people of the United States. Early in February, 
the U. S. Battleship Maine had been destroyed by an ex- 
plosion in Havana harbor, and two hundred and forty- 
eight American sailors had lost their lives. A board of 
naval officers, after daily sessions for seven weeks, had 
decided that the destruction of the vessel was not due 
to an accident ; confirming the popular opinion that the 
blowing up of this vessel was an act of Spanish treach- 
ery. Both branches of Congress were debating meas- 
ures regarding American intervention in the Cuban re- 
bellion, which the natives of that island had success- 
fully carried on against Spanish rule for three years. 
The question of the hour was whether war with Spain 
was at hand. 

That the annual inspection of the Troop occur- 
red just at this time was merely a coincidence — six 
months before the plans had been made. Nothing 

(A) 



10 THE CALL TO ARMS. 

was changed by the exciting rumors of the day, for the 
Troopers belonged to that conservative class of busi- 
ness men, which even at this time, did not believe in 
the likelihood of a resort to arms over the disputes 
pending between the United States and Spain. 

In former years it had been the custom of the 
Troopers to drill Saturday afternoons, throughout the 
spring, in Fairmount Park. This plan had proven so 
troublesome that it had been decided to give up every 
afternoon for one week previous to the annual in- 
spection for mancEuvres at Fort Side grounds and omit 
the Saturday drills in the Park. The Wednesday before 
the date set for the first practice, some new horses for 
the City Troopers were sent to Fort Washington, and 
rooms were secured for the men at Fort Side Inn. 

On Monday, April i8th, the Troop having as- 
sembled at Fort Side, in service uniform, fully equipped 
and mounted, were formed in line promptly at four 
o'clock, and at the command of Captain Groome 
trotted off to their first drill, which was held in a fine 
broad meadow bordering on the Wissahickon, opposite 
the Inn. After two hours of troop and squad move- 
ments they returned to the Inn, where they learned 
that while they had been drilling the House and 
Senate conferrees had agreed to a joint resolution in 
regard to intervention. Throughout the week the 



THE CALL TO ARMS. II 

drills continued, and each afternoon showed a marked 
improvement, both in the men and horses. The latter 
soon became accustomed to the noise of the firing dur- 
ing the skirmish drill, and one hour each day was spent 
in drilling in extended order and "as skirmishers." 
As each twenty-four hours passed the reports from 
the nation's capitol showed war to be closer at 
hand than upon the preceding day. On Wednesday 
despatches from Washington were printed in all 
papers saying that the National Guard would be 
called out within forty-eight hours and sent to camp 
at Mt. Gretna, Pa. Captain Groome quietly passed 
word along the line to make ready, and arrangements 
were completed with the Pennsylvania Railroad to 
transport the Troopers to the State camp, direct from 
Fort Washington, should need arise, in fact there 
was a general hope among the men that in this 
way the dreaded farewells from loved ones might be 
avoided. Thursday night the President signed the 
resolutions of Congress, which stated that American 
troops would be sent to Cuba at once to end the war. 
At the same time an ultimatum was sent to Spain to 
withdraw her troops from the island quietly or pre- 
pare for invasion. It was announced that Spain had 
been given forty-eight hours in which to answer. Her 
only reply was to dispatch her best fleet westward. 



12 THE CALL TO ARMS. 

On Saturday, the day of the Troopers inspec- 
tion, President McKinley issued a call for 125,000 
volunteers. While this fact overshadowed all others, 
the Troopers made a splendid showing that afternoon, 
and were heartily congratulated upon their high state 
of efficiency by Major Sweeney, Inspector of the First 
Brigade. 

Sunday was the last day of rest at home that the 
Troopers were to enjoy for months to come. On 
the following Monday, Governor Hastings ordered the 
State Troops to mobilize at Mt. Gretna Thursday. 
President McKinley's call had made no requisition for 
cavalry, but Captain Groome received a personal tele- 
gram from Governor Hastings saying that the Troop 
would be wanted without question, and the usual 
printed notices were sent out, ordering the men to be 
at the armory ready to start at five o'clock Thurs- 
day morning. As a matter of fact, a majority of the 
Troopers spent the two preceding days there, help- 
ing pack the stores and equipments, and getting every- 
thing in perfect condition. 

Wednesday night all was in readiness, and the 
cavalrymen's spirits were high as they read in the 
evening papers how Sampson's fleet was engaged in 
bombarding Matanzas, and how the Spaniards were 



THE CALL TO ARMS. 13 

rushing work upon their fortifications in Cuba and 
Porto Rico. 

War had been begun without any formal declara- 
tion. Spain had refused to answer the American 
ultimatum and had given Minister Woodford his pass- 
ports, thus breaking diplomatic relations. At once 
the United States fleet, off the Cuban coast, began 
to capture Spanish vessels. Then, at the request of 
the President, Congress passed a declaration to the 
effect that a state of war had existed between the 
United States and Spain since Monday, April 25th. 

At this time Spain was credited with having two 
powerful fleets of a strength almost equal to that of 
the United States Navy, and with possessing an army 
in Cuba and Porto Rico of 150,000 well seasoned, 
splendidly drilled men ; war problems were admittedly 
assuming a graver aspect each day. 

All the forces of nature seemed combined, on 
Thursday morning, to deter the City Troopers from 
their expressed intention of joining the volunteer 
army. Faint-hearted men would surely have been 
terrified at the first view presented of the hardships 
of a soldier's life. It was freezing cold, yet a sort of 
rain was falling that at times became hail and at 
times came down as snow. Whatever form the 
downfall took, it soaked through all coverings and 



M THE CALL TO ARMS. 

chilled to the bone those compelled to endure its pelt- 
ing attack. An icy wind was twisting and cutting 
through the streets of the city. 

When the Troopers stepped from their comfort- 
able homes into the storm, it was not yet five o'clock. 
Daylight was scarce as strong as the light from the 
lamps still burning in the streets ; deep slush covered 
the streets and sidewalks. Singly, and by groups of 
two or threes, the cavalrymen slipped and splashed 
their way to the old armory on Twenty-first Street. 

Roll call at five o'clock found, out of the sixty-six 
active members of the Troop, the following present : 
Captain John C. Groome, First Lieutenant Edward 
Browning, Assistant Surgeon Charles H. Frazier, 
Cornet Richard Tilghman, First Sergeant J. Willis 
Martin, Quartermaster Sergeant William C. Lott, 
Sergeants R. E. Glendinning, John Wagner, Jr., 
Frederick Thibault, C. Emory McMichael and William 
H. Hart; Corporals William E. Bates, Charles H. 
Smith, John Houston Merrill and Francis A. Thibault ; 
Trumpeters Pugh and Singer ; Privates A. Mercer 
Biddle, Frank B. Bower, Ward Brinton, Thomas 
Cadwalader, Jay Cooke, 3d, Francis L. Cramp, 
Herman A. Denckla, George L. Farnum, J. Edward 
Farnum, William I. Forbes, Persifor Frazier, Jr., 
H. Percy Glendinning, Henry S. Godfrey, Samuel 



THE CALL TO ARMS. I? 

Goodman, Francis E. Green. Robert E. Griffith, 
Guston A. Heckscher, T. Wallis Huidekoper, Francis 
A. Janney, Charles K. Lennig, George McFadden, 
Percy C. Madeira, Richard W. Meirs, Frederick B. 
Neilson, Edward P. Rawle, Benjamin B. Reath, 
Samuel K. Reeves, J. Ridgway Reilly, James M. 
Rhodes, Jr., Thomas Ridgway, Henry D. Riley, 
Thomas Robb, Jr., Adolph G. Rosengarten, Mitchell 
G. Rosengarten, Jr., Edward K. Rowland, Reginald 
K. Shober, James Starr, J. C. Stevens, Edward C. 
Taylor, Nelson B. Warden, William G. Warden, 
Bromley Wharton and Alexander W. Wister, Jr. The 
absentees were: Second Lieutenant J. Frank Mc- 
Fadden, who was coming to rejoin his command as 
fast as the "Lucania" could bring him from Europe ; 
George Thayer, who had cabled from Ireland that he 
would return upon the first available vessel ; H. C. 
Butcher, who was in the mountains near Cripple 
Creek beyond the reach of telegrams, and who at 
that time did not know war was talked of ; W. Good- 
man and S. Chew, who were in a similar condition 
of ignorance somewhere in the Klondike regions of 
Alaska, and Corporal Borie, sick in bed with typhoid 
fever. 

Just at 5.50 the ringing notes of the bugle 
sounded assembly. At six o'clock came " boots and 



i6 



THE CALL TO ARMS. 



saddles." Ten minutes later the men mounted and 
rode out into the icy rain, each man wearing the 
service uniform, heavy overcoat and poncho, and 
armed with saber, Springfield carbine (cal. 45) and 
Colts' revolver (cal. 38), and with the blanket, mess 
outfit, haversack and nose bag, and two days' rations 
securely strapped to the saddle. 

With bowed heads they slowly passed to the 
Reading siding at the corner of Twenty-third and 
Arch Streets, where the long troop train was waiting. 
Quartermaster Sergeant Lott and his detail having 
loaded all the stores and camp equipage before the 
arrival of the Troop, there was nothing for the men to 
do but load their horses on the cars. Inside of half 
an hour the last horse had been loaded, and the Troop 
was ready to start. For nearly an hour, however, they 
remained in the cars at the siding, and " last" good- 
bys were said over again to the few remaining friends 
who had braved the weather to see the cavalrymen 
off. Finally at 7.30 the engine gave a warning toot, 
and the train pulled slowly out amid prolonged cheers. 

Delays innumerable and inexplainable occurred 
on that journey, and a trip which ordinarily requires 
less than three hours consumed, in the Troopers 
case, an entire day ; so that the shades of evening 
were added to the gloom which had prevailed all day 



THE CALL TO ARMS. 17 

when Camp Hastings was reached. From the cars 
the Troopers tramped a half mile, up and down hill, 
to a little valley which had been designated as their 
camp site. 

After the flood of the day the valley was ankle 
deep in mud, and a more discouraging prospect than 
confronted the Troopers would be hard to imagine. 
No shelter had been prepared for them, nor could any 
be secured. By some mistake, on the part of others, 
their tents had not yet arrived from the State Arsenal. 
All buildings about the camp grounds were crowded 
with the constantly increasing throngs of infantry- 
men, each troop train upon its arrival adding to the 
thousands of shelterless soldiers. 

A half dozen of the largest Troopers were sent 
out to forage, and while they were gone arrangements 
were made, through the courtesy of Captain War- 
burton, with the men of Battery A to share their 
tents for the night. The battery had arrived the day 
before and was comfortably located. Of course the 
doubling up of quarters caused crowding, but the 
grateful Troopers, wet and tired as they were, 
were soon dreaming their first soldier dreams, while 
the rain beat a mournful tattoo on the canvas over- 
head. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 

HAD the Troopers not known from experience 
that Mt. Gretna was an ideal spot for a camp, 
their impressions of the place, gained from observa- 
tions taken the morning after their arrival, would 
have been disagreeable beyond expression. In the 
words of " Longfeller," as one Trooper expressed it, 
in a letter to the Press, 

"We saw the tents of the others, 

Gleam through the rain and the mist, 
And a feeling of sadness came o'er us, 
That our hearts could not resist." 

For, to the disgust of the Troopers, daylight brought 

no news of the missing canvas, and visions of another 

night in the mess tents of the Battery and Sheridan 

Troop began to disturb the men. Captain Groome 

and his lieutenants had planned plenty of work for 

the men, however, and as soon as their minds were 

once occupied they began to feel better. Details 

were sent to relieve the guard that had been placed 

over the baggage car, to secure wagons to haul the 

luggage to the camp grounds and to do regular sentry 

duty. 



THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. ' 1 9 

While the spot selected for a camp by Captain 
Groome had its disadvantages in rainy weather, it 
proved to be on the whole, the most desirable spot on 
the entire grounds; one of its greatest advantages 
being the nearness of Lake Conawago, where later in 
the season the men enjoyed a daily bath. The Phila- 
delphia infantry commands had been assigned the worst 
quarters at Mt. Gretna. They occupied a deep basin, 
fully a mile and a half from the station and telegraph 
office, and during the entire time the First, Second, 
Third Regiments and Batallion of State Fencibles re- 
mained there, the valley was a sea of red mud. 
Every other regiment was encamped on rising ground, 
where the sandy soil was well drained and kept com- 
paratively dry despite the long continued rains which 
set in. 

In the afternoon the Troopers tents arrived, and 
went up with astonishing rapidity. The men worked 
hard arranging wooden supports for their straw-filled 
canvas bags, so they would not be obliged to sleep on 
the wet turf. The horses had been well sheltered in 
the woods near the camp, but men and beasts alike 
were glad when they saw the bright sun on Saturday 
morning. These weather conditions quickly wrought 
a great change throughout the miles of tented streets. 
Soldiers faces brightened and the Troopers, who had 



20 THE TROOP AT Mr. GRETNA, 

kept up their pluck splendidly under a stress of unfor- 
tunate circumstances such as no other organization 
had been obliged to face, could not help showing their 
pleasure at the improved prospects, 

Sunday was spent for the most part in straight- 
ening up the camp. In the afternoon there were a 
number of visitors on hand from* Philadelphia, al- 
though rainy weather had set in again. All kind of 
rumors were current as to what would be done with 
the State organizations, and many feared that the 
Troop would not be allowed to enlist as a whole, but 
that the men would be called upon to enter the vol- 
unteer service as individuals. These rumors soon 
died away, however, and on Monday when the men 
were lined up and asked if they were willing to enter 
the service of the United States there was but a 
single dissenting voice. One private refused to volun- 
teer, and he at once resigned from the Troop. As 
there was no provision in the call for volunteers for 
an assistant surgeon, with a troop of cavalry. Dr. 
Charles H. Frazier could not be mustered in. 

After the privates and non-commissioned officers 
had expressed their willingness to volunteer. Colonel 
Morrell addressed the officers as follows : " is it your 
desire that 1 should request the Governor of Pennsyl- 
vania to issue to you a commission, for the same places 



THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 21 

you now hold in the volunteer army of the United 
States." 

Captain Groome and Lieutenants Browning and 
McFadden signified their desire to serve, and Governor 
Hastings at once responded that it would give him 
great pleasure to have the commissions made out as 
requested. 

After this inspection the men settled down to 
camp life with zest. On the day they had signified 
their willingness to enlist, the great news had come 
of Commodore Dewey's victory in the harbor of Ma- 
nila. The destruction of the entire Spanish fleet in 
the East, gave a new turn to the war, and it was soon 
whispered that it would not be long before some of 
the men encamped at Mt. Gretna would be on their 
way to these distant islands in the Pacific. Daily 
drills were taken up with added interest. Wednesday 
and Thursday were rainy. The brigade surgeons 
were being examined, and all was put in readiness 
for the physical examination of the soldiers, prelimin- 
ary to their being mustered into the volunteer ser- 
vice. Friday the City Troopers were examined and 
four men were rejected by the surgeons, chiefly for 
defects in eyesight. Two of these were afterward 
reinstated by direct orders from Washington. 

Saturday, April 28th, the Troopers were marched 



22 THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 

down to division headquarters to be mustered in. A 
heavy Scotch mist hung over the camp, and objects 
at a short distance were invisible. The men were 
lined up before a long wooden platform upon which 
stood Major William A. Thompson, of the First U. S. 
Cavalry, the ofificer detailed by the War Department 
to muster the Pennsylvania National Guard troops 
into the Volunteer service of the United States ; 
Governor Hastings and his staff, and hundreds of 
spectators. As the roll was called, each Trooper 
stepped forward and answered to his name. Then 
the mustering officer told the men and officers to raise 
their right hand. Up went the hands and the specta- 
tors removed their hats while Major Thompson re- 
peated this oath : 

" Do you solemnly swear that you will bear true 
faith and allegiance to the United States of America, 
and will serve them faithfully against all their ene- 
mies whomsoever, and that you will obey the orders 
of the President of the United States and the orders 
of officers appointed over you, according to the rules 
and articles of war .?" 

" 1 do ?" shouted each man in the same breath, 
and as the hearty response went up, the spectators 
applauded and the Third Regiment Band, sheltered 
in a building near at hand, struck up " The Star 



THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 23 

Spangled Banner." The officers' commissions were 
then filled in by the Governor and handed to their 
owners. Back to their camp marched the Troopers, 
no longer their own masters but servants of Uncle 
Sam, and as they filed past the mustering stand, a 
company of infantrymen stepped up to go through 
the same ceremony. 

Noah is credited with being the only man who 
ever saw it rain for forty days and forty nights, but 
the City Troopers ran him a close race in the month 
that followed. The intervals between showers were 
almost too brief to be noticed, and it became a popu- 
lar jest that the weather man was trying to break the 
men in for a campaign in Cuba during the rainy 
season. The worst storm of the lot was reserved for 
the Sunday following the muster-in of the Troopers. 
In regular cloud-bursts the floods descended upon 
Camp Hastings. The camp of the Troopers was sur- 
rounded by hills on three sides, and down these hills 
came innumerable streams, all headed for the Troop 
street. Visitors in large numbers had come out from 
the city on the long excursion trains, and many were 
half ferried, half driven to camp in an old wagon 
which seemed especially designed to do service as a 
boat. Bad as was the Troopers' lot, it was almost 
nothing compared to what the Philadelphia infantry- 

(B) 



24 THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 

men were compelled to endure. The foot soldiers in 
the first place had not taken tlie same precautions 
as the Troopers in raising their mattresses from the 
ground, and in some cases they actually found their 
beds under water by nightfall. Mud in the streets of 
every camp in the First Brigade was six inches deep, 
and so sticky that to attempt to walk through it, in- 
variably meant the loss of a boot. 

On Monday morning, drills were resumed by the 
Troopers, and upon Tuesday they were called to bid 
farewell to the men of Battery A, who had been 
ordered to Newport News for guard duty. 

Although the rain spoiled all attempts at system- 
atic drill, captains throughout the camp were gradu- 
ally getting their men in better shape, and the 
work of mustering-in had proceeded uninterruptedly. 
On Friday, the 13th, the last of the Pennsylvania 
Troops had entered the volunteer army. There were 
at that time 10,860 in all, and a grand review by the 
Governor was planned for the next afternoon. As if 
to compensate for past sins and sins to come, the 
weather for that day was perfect, and by three 
o'clock on Saturday afternoon the various troops and 
regiments throughout the camp began wending their 
way from the tents to the parade ground. The 
Troopers took up their stand on a little hill near their 



THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 25 

camp, but the rising ground prevented their seeing 
the miles of blue ranks, glittering with steel, that 
stretched away just beyond. 

The Governor and his staff rode at full gallop 
along the lines, while a little band, the only one in 
camp, kept blowing out the strains of " Hail to the 
Chief." The lack of proper music was the only 
drawback to this occasion. Then the order to march 
came ; the many commands swung past the review- 
ing party, and the finest display ever made by Penn- 
sylvania troops since the Civil War was at an end. 

The second command of Philadelphia soldiers 
to leave Camp Hastings was the Third Regiment. 
Colonel Ralston received his orders the Sunday fol- 
lowing the review, and attempted to get off that 
afternoon, but railroad facilities were wanting and it 
was not until Monday evening that the boys of the 
Third got away. Tampa was their destination. 

The next day Captain Groome received an order 
to* report to General Merritt, of the Department of the 
East, and this order gave the reporters of the various 
papers material for many scare stories, as it became 
known the next day that General Merritt had been 
ordered to take command of the expedition to the 
Philippines, and it was supposed by some that he 
would take the Troopers with him. This rumor was 



26 THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 

in a measure substantiated by the orders which came 
for the Tenth Regiment to prepare to take a journey 
to the islands. For, like the Troopers, the Tenth had 
just previously been ordered to report to General 
Merritt, and when the orders came regarding the 
Philippines, the men of the Tenth had struck tents 
preparatory to going to meet General Merritt in New 
York. On this same Tuesday the First Regiment, 
made up of Philadelphia men, left Mt. Gretna for 
Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, and the Ninth Regi- 
ment started for the same camp. 

From the movement of the infantry regiments it 
seemed probable that they would soon be required 
for active service, but the cavalry troops were de- 
tained at Mt. Gretna waiting for the issue of arms 
and equipments from the Government. As the City 
Troop was fully armed with the carbine, saber and 
pistol, uniformed, equipped and mounted, and owned 
all their equipments and horses, Captain Groome 
offered to Governor Hastings, and through him 'to 
the Secretary of War, to transfer immediately all 
the horses and troop property of every description to 
the United States, to be settled for at any time and 
price satisfactory to the Government. The Troopers 
hoped by this offer to be enabled to take the field at 
once, but unfortunately this was not accepted, although 



THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 27 

the spirit which prompted it was warmly commended 
in the return message from the War Department. 
After this there was nothing to do but wait for the 
Government to provide new horses and equipments. 

On the afternoon of Wednesday, the 19th, Cap- 
tain Groome was called to Washington and Lieu- 
tenant Browning remained in charge of the City 
Troopers camp. He put the men through a long dis- 
mounted drill and followed it up with another the 
next day. While the captain was away, a report 
came from Washington, through the Associated Press 
despatches, that the Pennsylvania Cavalry were to 
be ordered at once to Hempstead, L. 1., to camp 
there until wanted. Saturday noon Captain Groome 
returned. He borrowed thirty horses belonging to 
the Sheridan Troop and took one-half of the City 
Troopers out for drill. When they returned Lieutenant 
Browning took out the other squad, in the evening 
there came an inquiry from the War Department as 
to how many horses were needed by the City Troop. 
This did not arouse any enthusiasm, however, as the 
same request had been made two weeks before and 
nothing had come of it. 

Sunday was a pleasant day, for a change, and the 
Troopers spent it quietly. There were not many visi- 
tors on the grounds, as all the regiments had de- 



28 THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 

parted except the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth 
and Eighteenth. Most of these men came from dis- 
tant parts of the State, hi the afternoon Sergeant 
Glendinning tried some experiments in i<ite flying 
that were watched with interest, and others of the 
Troopers planned to go into the kite manufacturing 
business to be ready for sport on the next clear day. 

There was a novelty in the way of drill in store 
for thirty of the Troopers, on Monday, as they were 
sent out in search of tramps who had settled in a 
nearby mountain, and were said to be moonshiners 
on a small scale. The exercise was splendid, but 
no tramps were found. That night a baby cyclone 
struck the camp. The wind got in its fine work 
about one o'clock in the morning, and the Troopers 
had to jump out of bed and hold their tents down. 
Some of the tents were sent flying before the alarm 
was given, and as rain immediately followed the blow, 
there were many men who passed an uncomfortable 
night. 

At this time the order of the day, in camp, was 

as follows : 

5.55 A. M. First call. 

6 A. M. Reveille roll call. 
6.05 A. M. Setting up exercises. 
6.20 A. M. Mess. 

7 A. M. Police camp. 



THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 29 

8 A. M. Guard mount. 

8.30 A. M. Drill. 

11.30 A. M. Inspection of quarters. 

12 M. Mess. 

3 P. M. Drill. 

6.15 P. M. Mess. 

7 P. M. Retreat roll call. 

g.30 P. M. Tattoo. 

10 P. M. Taps. 

All the men contributed to the mess from their 
pay, so that the meals did not consist solely of salt 
pork and hard tack. In the mornings the drill cov- 
ered the manual of carbine or saber drills, and pistol 
practice by squad or troop, also dismounted drill by 
the Troop; this drill lasted as a rule two hours. 
The afternoon drill as a rule extended over three 
hours, and was chiefly in outpost and skirmish work. 
One platoon would start, under the command of an 
otficer, telling the general direction it would take, 
and having gone a certain distance would establish 
outposts of an imaginary camp, twenty minutes later 
a second platoon would start on a march through the 
country, throwing out flankers and advance guard. 
The men of the two platoons wearing different colors 
on their hats so as to distinguish them. Up hill and 
down dale the men would crawl their way until the 
crack of the pistols would show that one platoon had 



30 THE TROOP AT MT. GRETNA. 

been unmasked. Then it was left to the officers to 
decide which side had the best of the manoeuvres. 
While two platoons were thus engaged a third was 
always left in charge of camp. Each morning half 
the Troop would be taken over to the rifle range for 
pistol and carbine practice. 

One piece of work had been done by the 
Troopers, during the early days of their stay at Camp 
Hastings, that has not been referred to. It was a 
squad of City Troopers that went over the triple 
muster rolls of the entire quota of Pennsylvania volun- 
teers, for Major Thompson, and their quick, accurate 
work helped greatly in the rapid mustering-in of the 
men. When he discharged these Troopers from fur- 
ther duty, Major Thompson wrote a cordial letter to 
Captain Groome, giving the Troopers high praise. 

And so the days passed on. Sometimes the 
Troopers felt that their peaceful camp life was pretty 
slow, but as the drills became harder day by day 
they realized that it was not only a great school of 
experience, but that each day's drill was part of a 
general plan of their officers, that would gradually 
improve their physical condition and bring them to a 
high state of efficiency as a Troop when they were 
needed for active service. And so each night, when 
at the last note of "retreat" the guidon was taken 



THE TROOP AT Mr. GRETNA. 31 

in, they felt they had not only earned a good night's 
rest, but that they had learned something during the 
day. 

On May 25th, President Mckinley issued his 
second call for troops, and it was announced that the 
men thus called for would be added to the organiza- 
tions already in the field. The City Troop was to be 
recruited up to a complete war footing of one hundred 
men, and arrangements were made to notify the men 
upon the waiting list of the opportunity that would 
be thus offered. Two days later the Paymaster 
reached camp for the first time. Three members of 
the Troop were sent to Harrisburg to secure the 
cash, and that night the men had their first look at 
Government money ; for in their previous campaigns, 
as a troop, their pay had come from the State. A 
Board was appointed, consisting of Major W. A. 
Thompson, First U. S. Cavalry, and Captain Paxton, 
Sixth Infantry, U. S. A., to purchase horses for the 
three troops of cavalry, and the last day of May 
Captain Groome left camp to join them in New 
Castle, Pa. 



CHAPTER 111. 
DEPARTURE FOR CAMP ALGER. 

JUNE FIRST found Captain Groome back again, 
with the information that if possible the horses for 
the City Troop would be grey. A large number of that 
color had been found and accepted by the Board, and 
as grey was the color best suited for service in tropical 
countries, the Captain had bespoken the greys for his 
troop. On June 4th the Captain rejoined the Horse 
Board, and the first animals purchased reached camp. 
The greys were tied to the picket line, which was 
extended in front of the Troop's long row of tents. 

On the seventh of the month the City Troop 
received orders from Major-General Graham, com- 
manding the Second Army Corps, to proceed at once to 
Camp Alger, and report as a part of that corps. To do 
this would be to leave the camp with but a part of th 
Troop's horses and equipments-, so Captain Groome 
requested that the Troop be allowed to remain until 
fully equipped, if possible. However, nil arrange- 
ments were made in compliance with the first order, 
and camp was broken on the afternoon of June gth. 
Some of the officers' wives, who had taken cottages 



e 



DEPARTURE FOR CAMP ALGER. 33 

at Chautauqua, had dismissed their servants, and the 
Troopers were ready to march to the train, when an 
order came granting the Captain's request, and order- 
ing the Troop to remain until fully equipped. 

Recruiting officers were at once sent to Phila- 
delphia, and two days later twelve new Troopers ar- 
rived, fully uniformed. Captain Groome was too 
busy to remain with the Horse Board any longer, and 
Lieutenant Browning went in his stead. The drills 
increased in length each day, and the new recruits as 
fast as they arrived were sent out in squads to learn 
the first principles, and then were given a turn with 
the entire Troop. The officers had a class in tactics 
daily, and the men took up the study of bugle calls. 
The recruits were given much guard duty to perform, 
and wherever they went they carried their books of 
regulations, learning the paragraphs by heart. 

On June 24th, Samuel Chew arrived at camp, 
direct from the Klondike gold regions, and took up his 
duties as if he had done nothing unusual, yet he 
had made the long journey in record-breaking time 
simply to rejoin his comrades. Twenty new tents ar- 
rived that day, affording accommodations for the new 
men. On the 17th, the last of the regiments of in- 
fantry left, and the Troopers were monarchs of all 
they surveyed. While the infantrymen were good 



34 DEPAR rURE FOR CA MP ALG ER. 

fellows, there were many reasons why the Troopers 
were glad when they had gone. Some time pre- 
viously the Troopers had erected a rough shed in 
which they had placed shower baths, but now that 
they had undisputed possession of the lake, they en- 
joyed long daily swims. 

Upon the departure of the last infantry regiment 
Captain Groome became the commanding officer at 
Camp Hastings, by virtue of seniority, he having been 
the first volunteer cavalry officer to be sworn into the 
United States service. He at once formed the three 
troops, Governor's, Sheridan and City Troop, into a 
squadron and assumed command. A change in the 
camp routine at once went into effect. Squadron 
drills were held daily, and other features of camp life, 
which interested all visitors, were squadron guard 
mount and evening parade. 

The new horses were utterly unused to cavalry 
exercises, in fact many of them had never been 
ridden before, and the Troopers had lively times train- 
ing their steeds. One of the sights which visitors to 
the camp were never tired of watching was the skill 
with which the Troopers "threw" their horses, to 
accustom them to the exercise in which the horses are 
supposed to lie down and afford forts for the riders. 
The throwing is exciting sport. The left fore leg of a 



DEPARTURE FOR CAMP ALGER. 35 

horse is strapped up so that the animal stands upon 
three legs, a strap is attached to the other fore leg 
and grasped by the rider, who suddenly turns the 
horse's head way around to one side and pulls the 
other fore leg from the ground. The animal is obliged 
to fall to his knees and is then coaxed over. When 
once the horse realizes that the rider means him no 
harm, the work is more than half done. 

On the 20th of June, Private Edward Carpenter 
was notified of his appointment, by the President, as 
a second lieutenant in the regular service. He had 
long been anxious to make the army his profession, 
and was greatly pleased. The first Khaiki uniform 
in the Trooper's camp appeared the next day upon 
Lieutenant McFadden, and was the subject of much 
attention. Fifteen men from each troop were con- 
stantly on guard duty over the camp grounds and 
railroad property. " Two hours on and four hours 
off," was the rule with the men during their day's 
duty. 

A blacksmith's forge was set up at the foot of the 

Trooper's camp, and men were detailed each day to 

act as assistants. The horses had all been unshod 

upon their arrival, and it was a long job getting them 

properly fitted out. 

June passed into July, and still the Troopers re- 
(c) 



36 DEPARTURE FOR CAMP ALGER. 

mained at Mt. Gretna. By this time the Troop had 
practically its full number of horses, and the men 
were drilled almost to the point of perfection. They 
were as fit for service as soldiers could be, and the 
orders to move, which came July 7th, were welcome 
indeed. The squadron was to go to Camp Alger, but 
all the men felt that this was but a preliminary move, 
and that soon they would be at the front. Tents were 
struck the same day. No countermanding orders 
came this time, and all the camp luggage was de- 
spatched to the station ahead of the cavalrymen. 

The squadron at this time consisted of three 
troops and nine officers. Each troop consisted of one 
hundred men and one hundred and six horses. The 
men of the three commands had become well ac- 
quainted with one another during their long wait 
at Camp Hastings, and upon their camp sites left 
mementoes of their stay which will be seen for years 
to come. Two of the Troops names are cut deeply 
upon great rocks, together with the dates of their 
arrival and departure. The men of the Governor's 
troop erected a huge monument of stones, held to- 
gether with mud, and great pride was taken by the 
Harrisburg Troopers in this "work of art." 



CHAPTER IV. 
FIRST DAYS AT CAMP ALGER. 

FRO.M the little valley, in which the Troopers had 
pitched their tents seventy-one days previous, 
they rode away late in the afternoon of Thursday, July 
8th, in the best condition of any command which had 
been mustered in at Mt. Gretna. No comrades in 
arms remained to be drawn up in line to give the 
cavalrymen a parting cheer, but fully two hundred 
cottagers of the Chautauqua grounds were at the 
station to witness the departure. The train was m 
waiting, made up in two sections ; the baggage, horses 
and horse detail were to go in the first, and the work 
of loading was at once begun. 

While the greys were being led aboard the cars, 
many friends of the Philadelphia men gathered upon 
the railroad platform to say a last good-by. Among 
those from whom the Troopers parted with sincere 
regret were T. Dawson Coleman and William T. 
Smith, President of the Cornwall and Lebanon road, 
both of whom had done much to contribute to the 
pleasure of the men in camp during their long stay. 
At seven o'clock the first section pulled out of 



38 FIRST DA VS A T CAMP ALGER. 

the station, Stable Sergeant Wagner and Troopers T. 
Cadwalader, Goodman, Pemberton and Rogers being 
detailed to accompany the horses. An hour later the 
remainder of the Troop was allowed to start. 

The train arrangements were excellent, every 
man in the squadron having a full seat to himself. It 
was interesting to note the various ways in which the 
Troopers prepared for their night of travel. A trip- 
through the train showed all sorts of games in prog- 
ress — cards, checkers, dominoes and the like. The 
good story tellers of the various troops were the 
centre of laughing groups ; many of the business 
men had their heads buried in the commercial page of 
the evening papers ; some of the more stolid warriors 
attempted to go to sleep the moment the train started ; 
in all it formed a picturesque grouping, and furnished 
rich material for the students of human nature among 
the troops. 

The discussions of the men regarding the general 
campaign were interesting, as the war fever was 
then at its height. Four days before the Atlantic 
Squadron, under Sampson and Schley, had destroyed 
the fleet of Admiral Cervera during its attempt to 
escape from the harbor of Santiago. General Shat- 
ter's men were then pressing upon Santiago, and its 
surrender was hourly expected. Then it was believed 



FIRST DA YS A T CAMP ALGER. 39 

that the word would come "On to Havana," and 
many of the Troopers believed that their command 
would surely have a part in this movement. 

So far the war had been one of surprises, scarcely 
an engagement having taken place at a point where 
a few months before the military leaders would have 
deemed it possible to expect one. Spain's navy had 
proven no match for that of the United States, but 
her little army about Santiago had made a good show- 
ing, and hard fights seemed probable before the main 
army would be driven from Cuba. 

The train first came to a stop in Harrisburg, in 
the midst of a mass of enthusiastic men and women, 
assembled to greet the members of the Governor's 
troop and Sheridan troop. The crowd rushed pell- 
mell through the cars containing the troopers of the 
other organizations, knocking down carbines and 
sabers, and upsetting things generally. But sentries 
had thoughtfully been placed by Lieutenant Browning 
at the doors of the City Troop cars, and this com- 
pany's share in the demonstration was conducted 
through the windows. " Hazel," the goat presented 
to the Troop during its service at the time of the 
Hazelton riots, gravely surveyed the scene from her 
outlook, and came in for a lion's share of attention. 
Just as the train started an enthusiastic young woman, 



40 FIJ^S T DAYS AT CA MP ALGER. 

who had been fighting her way toward the train, 
thrust a white kitten into the hands of Corporal 
Wister, with instructions to be good to it. In all 
it was a pleasant break in the monotony of a long 
ride. 

By midnight the State line was passed, and at 
Baltimore the first section of the train was overtaken. 
The Troopers, with the exception of the officers, were 
in day coaches, and made a picturesque sight, asleep 
in all conceivable attitudes. Enough were awake, 
however, to chat for a time with the members of the 
horse detail. By half-past four the men aroused, 
and thirty minutes later reached the station at Dunn 
Loring, Va. A breakfast of milk and sandwiches was 
eaten on the train, and then the unloading began. 
This work was speedily accomplished without a hitch 
or accident, and by nine o'clock the canvas of the 
three troops began to go up on the site of the camp 
formerly occupied by the Eighth Ohio Infantry, com- 
monly known as "The President's Own." 

All day long the cavalrymen worked upon the 
sun-baked slope, and by nightfall the grounds were 
in splendid order. In one regard the Troopers were 
fortunate, an artesian well being within fifty feet of 
their camp. This, however, supplied the wants of 
the men only, the horses, at first, having to be led 



FIRST DA YS A T CAMP AL GER. 4 1 

more than a mile for water. Shade was abundant 
near the camp, the horses being better off in that re- 
spect than at Camp Hastings. 

After a good night's sleep the men were called 
upon for disagreeable duty, which was at once cheer- 
fully taken up. The "doughboys" who had occu- 
pied the grounds previously had left the woods in the 
rear in such a condition as to menace the health of 
the camp, and twenty men from each troop were de- 
tailed by Captain Groome to police the woods, and at 
the end of the second day the grounds were compara- 
tively clean, and the men were then called upon for 
their first drill at Camp Alger. There was a great 
crowd around the parade grounds when the Troopers 
made their first appearance, and the repeated cheers 
and applause of the spectators came as an unexpected 
and pleasing surprise. 

Upon return to camp Private J. Edward Farnum 
was notified of his appointment, by the President, as 
an assistant commissary, with the rank of captain. 
The new government carbines, saddles and spurs 
were also received and distributed, but by some mis- 
take no saddle blankets were sent, so the Troopers 
continued to use their regular blankets. 

Sunday the Khaki uniforms arrived, and were at 
once donned by all the men. The universal verdict 



42 FIRST DA YS A T CAMP ALGER. 

seemed to be that the new uniforms were not particu- 
larly adapted for cavalry service, and were as ugly as 
they well could be. 

Right from the moment of their appearance at 
Camp Alger the City Troopers were in demand by 
the headquarters officers. Large details were re- 
quired each day for orderlies at Camp, Division and 
Brigade headquarters, and for mounted patrol duty. 

On July loth quite an addition was made to the 
camp of the City Troop. Eight government mules, 
with all the largeness of ears, friskiness of feet and 
sweetness of voice, possessed by their race, were 
assigned to Captain Groome's command. The mrn 
gathered about the new comers in an admiring group, 
wondered how fast they could trot, what would 
happen if a Trooper twisted one of their tails, and 
just what they were good for anyway. Before the 
campaign was over mules had ceased to arouse any 
admiration whatever, but the Troopers at Camp Alger 
could not see into the future, with its endless mule 
train and trials, so they made the most of their new 
possessions for the time being. 

Besides the mules, two wagons and two teamsters 
were assigned to the Troop, and these aids were 
greatly appreciated, as up to this time there had been 
a constant struggle to find conveyances for troop sup- 



F/RS T DAYS AT CAMP AL GER . 4 3 

plies and baggage between different points of the 
camps. 

Although the mules were in a thriving condition, 
the Troopers had troubles of their own with their 
greys. A majority of the horses had contracted ship- 
ping colds, and incessant doctoring was the order of 
the day and night. 

All of the animals came through all right, how- 
ever, with the exception of the horse ridden by Ser- 
geant Hart, which died the fifth day after the Troop's 
arrival at the new camp. 

The first detachment of mules was soon followed 
by another, until a full score had been sent to the 
Troop. Other commands throughout the camp had 
also received supplies of mules, and the animals 
showed a great fondness for communicating with one 
another in the early morning. Far away on one side 
of the camp a mule would raise his silvery voice 
to heaven ; somewhere from the headquarters mules 
would come an answering bray, and in a moment 
the chorus would resound throughout the camping 
grounds. At first the novelty of these sounds ap- 
pealed to the Troopers sense of humor, but the best 
jokes grow wearisome by repetition, and it was not 
long before the men were mentallv offering all sorts 



44 FIRST DA YS A T CAMP ALGER. 

of rewards for the man who could devise a plan to 
silence the long-eared singers. 

On the morning of July 14th, Corporal Hecksher 
and Troopers Coulston, Wheeler and Mills were sent 
by the Provost Marshal to escort back from Wash- 
ington fifteen foot soldiers who had overstayed their 
leave of absence. The derelicts were turned over to 
the tender mercies of the headquarters guard, to be 
dealt with as military regulations direct. A private 
of a western regiment, who had evidently been in 
Washington, returned to camp about eleven o'clock 
this night. After some parely with the Troop's sen- 
tinel, then on guard on the main road back of Captain 
Groome's headquarters, he proceeded to mix things 
up with the sentry, and was promptly marched to the 
guard house, where he spent a repentant night. 

Since the arrival of the squadron at Camp Alger 
Captain Groome, who was in command, had posted 
orders for Squadron Guard Mount every morning, and 
for Troop Drill and Squadron Parade every evening. 
The number of spectators upon these occasions kept 
increasing daily, and the reputation for excellence in 
drill on the part of the squadron spread rapidly. The 
officers of all the commands in the camp were at- 
tracted by these reports, and the evolutions of the 
cavalrymen were frequently watched with a critical 



FIRS T DA YS A T CAA/F AL GER. 4 5 

eye by many of the best known officers of the army. 
Though they came as critics they remained to praise, 
and many admitted that they gained a vast amount of 
useful knowledge by an inspection of the camp of the 
squadron. 

The paymaster put in an appearance July 15th. 
The Troop lined up and received their portions of 
hard-earned government money, and then promptly 
turned the cash over to the Quartermaster. In the 
afternoon General Butler honored the Troopers by 
riding out especially to watch their drill, and he 
warmly commended Captain Groome for the fme 
showing of the cavalry. 



CHAPTER V. 
CAMP ALGER AND NEWPORT NEWS. 

AT retreat roll call, on the evening of July 15th, 
an example was given of the affectionate regard 
the rest of the Pennsylvania Militia feel and show 
toward the Philadelphia horsemen. The battalion of 
State Fencibles, which formed a portion of the Sixth 
Regiment, marching in fours, came tramping into the 
Troop's street. Once there they halted and gave 
repeated cheers for the cavalrymen. Then away they 
trudged/ after being assured that their compliment was 
appreciated by the Troopers, Two members of the 
City Troop served on the Provost Guard the night of 
the i6th, and great was their amazement, when, amid 
the drunks and disorderly prisoners turned over to 
their charge, they found a chaplain. He was escorted 
to the guard house by a very disgusted squad. 

That same night, Private Robert Fell returned to 
camp, after two weeks confinement at his home with 
a kicked knee. His place on sick report was taken 
by Private Rowland, who had been slightly ill for 
several days, although he kept that information to 
himself until scarcely able to stand upon his feet. 



CAMP ALGER AND NEWPORT NEWS. 47 

Inspection of arms and equipments of the Troopers 
came on Saturday, and, as the arms just issued were 
uniformly dirty, a large number of the men put in an 
hour or two of hard cleaning and polishing. In the 
evening a dozen of the City Troopers attended the 
Camp Alger Theatre, the tent for which had been 
pitched right at the foot of the company's street. 
The price at that popular resort was twenty-five cents 
for all seats, and the audience generally contained two 
rows of Troopers, who joined heartily with the vaude- 
ville performers in singing the choruses and making 
things lively. Every feature was first-ciass in all 
respects, and good temper always prevailed on and 
off the stage. 

An incident occurred at the Theatre that night, 
which served to show the frame of mind of the 
American volunteers. A portion of the performance 
consisted of an exhibition of moving pictures. Finally 
a large flag was thrown on the sheet, and the man 
in charge said : 

"There's the flag you are fighting for, boys !" 

Instantly a dry western voice called out from the 
audience : "I wish to God we could get the chance !" 
and the immediate and tremendous cheer which fol- 
lowed, showed how heartily his wish was echoed by 
all present. 



48 CAMP ALGER AND NEW PORT NEWS. 

On Monday and Tuesday several details were 
sent out to do some work upon a site for a new camp 
nearer the station. Time began to hang heavy on all 
hands, and a strong rumor that the Troop was soon 
to go to Puerto Rico, failed to excite the interest that 
it would have a month before. Not that the men 
were less anxious to get to the front, but simply that 
they hated to let their hopes rise for fear of another 
disappointment. 

On Tuesday night, while watching Corporal 
Chew throw his horse, in order to put a bridle on 
the unruly animal, Private Wetherill received both 
heels of the beast on his left thigh, the horse having 
succeeded for a moment in getting away from the 
big corporal. The injuries were not of a serious 
nature, however, and the bruised trooper refused to 
put in a plea of sickness. 

It was expected by the men that the camps 
would be shifted on the 20th, and the failure to do 
so was regarded as lending color to the Puerto Rico 
rumors. On this morning the Troop dismounted and 
drilled finely. Their excellent work culminated when 
Lieutenant Browning rallied the men. Standing in 
close order, they fired three volleys that produced 
long cheering from the crowd. About two minutes 
later an orderly rode over from General Graham and 



CA3IP ALGER AND NEWPORT NEWS. 49 

reported to Lieutenant Browning that the command- 
ing ofificer wished to know what company had fired 
those volleys. The General expressed himself as 
delighted to hear that it was a troop of cavalry 
dismounted. 

Nearly every horse in camp at this time had 
distemper, and at night it was decided to give each 
of the invalids a pretty stiff drink, consisting of a 
pint of whiskey and sixty grains of quinine. The 
dose was shot down the animals throats from a great 
syringe, and the stable guard was advised to be on 
the lookout for any unusual hilarity; but no behavior 
out of the ordinary was noticed. 

J. L. Wetherill was granted sick leave on the 
2ist. He had been ill for several days, and it was 
thought best for him to return home. Shortly after 
he had done so his sickness took a serious turn, and 
he was unable to rejoin the Troop until its return 
from Puerto Rico. 

Squadron guard mount, drills and evening parade 
continued throughout the Troop's stay, under orders 
of Acting Major Groome. The day before the cav- 
alry troops left Camp Alger, however. Captain Jones, 
of the Sheridan Troop, was commissioned major. 
Captain Jones held the longest record of any officer 
in the Pennsylvania State troops, and had served as 

(D) 



50 CAMP ALGER AND NEWPORT NEWS. 

a captain in the Civil War. As his commission did 
not arrive until after the squadron had left Camp 
Alger, his appointment made no difference in the 
camp routine, and as the Sheridan and Governor's 
troops were left behind at Newport News, the City 
Troopers were not affected in the least by the change 
in the officer commanding the squadron. 

The night of the 21st one more of the greys died, 
but the rest of the animals were in splendid condition, 
and the men felt that they could make a good showing, 
so far as their mounts were concerned, in the foreign 
service soon to come. 

There were many occurrences to make Friday, 
July 22d, an eventful day. In the morning one hun- 
dred Krag-Jorgensen carbines arrived for the City 
Troopers ; there was an unusually interesting skirmish 
drill in the afternoon, and late in the evening came 
the eagerly awaited orders for the Troop to proceed 
forthwith to Newport News to take transports for 
Puerto Rico. Needless to say the camp was at once 
thrown into a thoroughly happy mood, and dozens of 
telegrams were sent notifying Philadelphia friends of 
the good luck of the Troop in securing active service, 
when fully 7,000 regular cavalrymen were fretting 
in camps of mobilization. Post Quartermaster Hugh 
Craig, Jr., arrived the next day, and announced his 



CAMP AL GER AND NE WPOR T NE WS. 5 I 

intention of staying with the Troop until it left for 
the front. The men could not help feeling better when 
they saw his jolly face in the camp. 

Tents were struck at five o'clock Sunday morn- 
ing, and an hour later the squadron boarded a special 
train waiting to carry it to Newport News. The 
journey occupied the entire day, it being nearly nine 
o'clock when the cars reached their destination. In- 
stead of trying to find a camping ground that night, 
the men curled up in the cars and slept as best they 
could. In a pleasant spot on the coast, about two 
miles outside the city, the Troopers went into camp 
the next day. Even before the tents went up there 
were several visitors from Philadelphia who had 
hurried down to bid the Troopers " God-speed " upon 
their departure for the seat of war. 

An unexpected guest was Charles Wheeler, an 
old member of the organization, but off the active list 
for years. He had just returned from a trip through 
Japan. He was anxious to rejoin his old comrades, 
and as there was one vacancy in the Troop it was 
promptly filled. 

Tuesday morning Captain Groome received orders 
to have his men ready to embark at four o'clock. 
Tents were struck at noon, the operation being 
watched by scores of friends who had reached the 



52 CAMP ALGER AND NEWPORT NEWS. 

camp by that time. Promptly at the hour mentioned 
in the order the Captain marched his men down to the 
wharf, where they found no transport awaiting them. 
Hour after hour passed, and still no sign of a vessel. 
Night found the Troopers still lounging about the 
dock. 

During this long wait a full score of prominent 
Philadelphia ladies, who had come down to say a last 
good-by to their relatives and friends in the Troop, 
had an opportunity to show the traditional spirit of 
American women. The ladies had stood around the 
camp all morning, had followed the Troop into the 
city and to the wharf, where they had shared all the 
discomforts of the situation. It began to rain, but 
they only laughed and refused to seek shelter. Not 
a mouthful had they eaten since breakfast, but tired, 
wet and hungry as they were, they smiled bravely 
to keep up the spirits of the men ; all unconsciously 
they afforded fine illustrations of what the mothers, 
wives and sisters of American soldiers have been in 
all hours of need. 

When six o'clock came, and it was evident that 
the Troopers were in for a tough time of it, the 
ladies went in a body to the nearest restaurant and 
secured some sandwiches and coffee. Walking fear- 
lessly through the crowd upon the dock, dodging 



CAMP ALGER AND NEWPORT NEWS. 53 

under horses heads and around mule packs, they 
brought the food to the cavalrymen, and even waited 
upon them. In the language of one trooper whose 
young bride was among the number of ladies upon 
the wharf, "there was only one regret at going to the 
front, and that was the leaving behind of girls like 
those." 

Until seven o'clock the City Troopers were kept 
upon the wharf. At that hour Captain Groome was 
informed that no transport could then be secured, 
and that he should return with the Troop to Newport 
News and report to General Fred. Grant. Captain 
Groome ordered the Troop to bivouac in the grass in 
front of the hotel for the night. There was a general 
rush for shelter. The ladies sought their rooms in 
the hotel, from the windows of which they could see 
the cavalrymen lying in the grass of a field opposite, 
rolled up in their blankets. 

Captain Groome did not retire however. He 
returned to the wharf and spent several hours arguing 
with various captains, in order to find a speedy way 
in which to embark the Troop, it was not easy work 
to make headway against the seemingly endless array 
of objections and red tape, but perseverance won out, 
and the Captain was at last informed, that if he would 



5 4 CAMP AL GER AND NE H TOR T NE WS. 

have his men on hand at four o'clock they would be 
taken aboard. 

This last bivouac upon American soil was ex- 
ceedingly picturesque to the spectator, but hard upon 
the men. Every Trooper had been thoroughly soaked 
by the rain while standing upon the wharf. In their 
wet clothes they had been obliged to wrap their 
blankets about them and lay down to slumber in the 
midst of a damp grass plot under a cloudy sky, which 
threatened another downpour at any moment. With 
the exception of some pretty tough sandwiches the 
men had been without food since morning, and the 
easy way in which they accepted the situation spoke 
volumes for the value of the training in camp life re- 
ceived at Mt. Gretna and Camp Alger. 

The Troop at this time consisted of three officers, 
one contract surgeon, ninety-nine men, one hundred 
and four horses and twenty mules. The Sheridan 
and Governor's Troop had not received orders to 
sail, and the members of these commands were ex- 
tremely disappointed. They remained at Newport 
News under the command of Major Jones. 

Captain Groome arranged for an early breakfast 
of coffee and sandwiches for his men, and at 4.30 
A. M. the next day the City Troopers were again 
ordered to the wharf. This time there was no dis- 



CAMP AL GER AND NE U TOR T NE WS. 5 5 

appointment. The transport "Massachusetts" was 
there taking on a great load of men, horses and 
mules. All was bustle and confusion. Within a short 
time the Troopers went aboard, and almost at once 
the vessel made ready to sail. Last words to the 
faithful friends ashore were shouted, there was a 
waving of hands and handkerchiefs, and a little after 
midday the "Massachusetts" began ploughing her 
way toward the southern isle, where General Brooke's 
army and the Spanish forces were reported to be al- 
ready face to face. 



CHAPTER VI. 
LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 

LIFE aboard a troop ship is not a round of pleasure 
at the best. Long tales of woe, regarding the 
trials and hardships upon transports of various in- 
fantry commands, quickly found their way into print 
within a few weeks after active war operations com- 
menced. Not one word, however, regarding the dis- 
comforts of the City Troop on the trip to Puerto 
Rico was written. Yet, if existence upon a transport 
ship, crowded with men is disagreeable, what would 
the complaining infantrymen have said had they 
found themselves in the Troop's plight, on a vessel 
containing more animals than men. 

Truly discouraging was the situation in which 
the cavalrymen were placed. Their hammocks were 
swung between decks, and but eighteen inches were 
allowed between the hammock of each man and the 
hammocks above and on each side of him. Two feet 
is the regulation distance in the navy, but circum- 
stances alter cases, and what might be a fair allow- 
ance on a carefully kept, well-ventilated war vessel, 
became a distinct hardship aboard the " Massachu- 



LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 57 

setts." Especially was this the case where several 
of the tall, broad-shouldered men found their ham- 
mocks adjoining one another — for the men's bodies 
touched at all times, and bumped together vigorously 
at every lurch of the vessel. 

The transport upon which the Troopers found 
themselves had been built to carry about four hun- 
dred horses and an ordinary crew, yet when pressed 
into government service seven hundred men and four- 
teen hundred horses and mules were considered about 
her proper capacity. When the Troopers first boarded 
the vessel their bundles of clothing and equipments 
were scattered about in great confusion, and a good 
part of the first day was spent by the men in collect- 
ing their belongings and bringing them into some sort 
of order. 

The weather during the first day at sea was ex- 
ceedingly hot, although fairly pleasant until toward 
evening, when the wind began to show itself and 
the sky became cloudy. A majority of the men pre- 
pared to sleep upon deck, but as the vessel came off 
Cape Hatteras about midnight she struck a regular 
squall. The air became cold, the "Massachusetts" 
began to pitch about violently and then rain came 
rushing down in great volumes, driving the men below 
in a hurry. There they found many of their fellow 



58 LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 

passengers with their dreams of glory swallowed up 
in seasickness. The horses, too, succumbed to the 
complaint in large numbers, and required much care. 

Aboard the "Massachusetts" there were, in all, 
seven hundred horses and a like number of mules. 
Hundreds of the mules were fastened just below 
the deck to which the Troopers had been driven 
by the squall, while above could be heard the con- 
stant stamping of horses. Between these two layers 
of animals the cavalrymen passed a restless night. 
But if their first attempt at sleep was disturbed, the 
conditions prevailing the second night can better be 
imagined than described. Despite the best efforts 
to keep the quarters of the animals clean, the odor 
which arose from the hundreds of horses and mules 
was sickening, and a majority of the Philadelphia men 
found sleeping in the hammocks impossible. 

Early the next morning Captain Groome took 
the matter in hand, and secured permission for his 
men to sleep upon the baled hay, which was piled 
high on the main deck. There, under the stars, 
swept by refreshing sea breezes, the Troopers slept 
well — if not comfortably — the remaining nights aboard. 
Special sentries were appointed to see that no tired 
Trooper rollefl from his hay mattress into the sea. 

But the greatest hardship of the voyage to Puerto 



LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 59 

Rico was the lack of drinking water. Dirty, yellow- 
ish fluid was all that could be had. This would not 
have troubled the men a particle had it been cool 
enough to be refreshing. But the water was warm ; 
sometimes it was positively hot, and always insipid 
and filthy looking. A skirmish by the commissary 
brought to light a case of beer, although there was 
no ice to make it palatable. The beer lasted but a 
day, and to keep alive the water had to be accepted 
and made the best of. Worse came to worst on 
Sunday. The pumps of the "Massachusetts" broke 
down, and the Troopers were obliged to go into the 
hold of the offensively fragrant vessel and bring up 
water bucketful by bucketful for the animals under 
their charge. 

Sergeant Martin and Corporal Wagner, stripped 
to the waist, were at the bottom of what looked like 
a deep well. The atmosphere was stifling, and in 
order to enable the men at the bottom to stand the 
heat, their comrades kept pouring water down upon 
their heads and bodies. As fast as pails could be 
filled from the bottom they were passed up along a 
long line of men composed of details from the vari- 
ous commands aboard. 

It was exhausting labor, but of all the men on 
board the City Troopers stood the work best. The 



6o LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 

water thus brought up was of a kind absolutely 
dangerous for a human being to drink, and all through 
the day's trying struggle the Troopers silently en- 
dured the added pangs of thirst. There was more 
real suffering for twenty-four hours than any man in 
the Troop will admit, but when the pumps resumed 
operations in the morning, the thankful air with which 
the formerly despised yellowish warm water was ac- 
cepted spoke volumes. 

The days passed along slowly. No extremely 
rough weather was encountered, but on several occa- 
sions the old transport reeled sufficiently to send a 
few of the Troopers to their hammocks with slight at- 
tacks of mal de mer. 

The motion of the vessel was sufficient, how- 
ever, to completely disarrange each night the outfit 
of the Troopers, and it was their duty each morning 
to gather together their equipments for inspection, 
the same as though they were in camp. This con- 
stant readiness was in marked contrast with the ar- 
rangements among other commands aboard. 

Many of the Troopers will never forget the first 
time the alarm of fire was given aboard the ship. It 
was the third morning out that a guard discovered 
smoke slowly curling from between the crevices of 
the baled hay piled high on deck. The guard was 



LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 6l 

startled, and his call for the corporal and statement 
of the discovery of the fire was given in a loud tone, 
which instantly caused the alarm to spread through- 
out the ship. It was no pleasant thought for the 
men, who knew so well the inflammable nature of 
the cargo and the crowded condition aboard, and 
there was a rush for the point from which the alarm 
had come. Fortunately the blaze was a trivial affair 
easily extinguished, and the excitement was speedily 
at an end. Three other times, however, during the 
trip the same alarm was given, but the careful watch 
kept prevented the fire, in a single instance, from gain- 
ing any headway. 

Although the "Massachusetts" was supposed to 
be one of the fastest transports, she found the entire 
flotilla, which had left Newport News about the same 
time she did, awaiting her arrival off Guayama. A 
despatch boat came puffing down to meet her, flying 
the signal, " Follow me," and Troopers in the bow 
saw a man armed with a megaphone mount the bridge 
of the despatch boat and shout: "The 'Massachu- 
setts' will lead the way, landing at Ponce," 

These instructions as to the exact landing place 
were somewhat contrary to those before given Cap- 
tain Pitcher, who was in charge of the transport, so 
he shouted back, " By whose authority do you give 



62 LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 

those orders?" and the reply promptly came, "By 
the authority of Major General Nelson A. Miles, 
commanding." 

This was at three o'clock, and the "Massachu- 
setts " at once went ahead. At 4.30 the harbor of 
Ponce was sighted, and several of the Philadelphia 
cavalrymen in the bow saw that the transport was 
steering directly into shoal water, at the bottom of 
which a coral reef could be plainly seen. They 
shouted to the man at the wheel, but too late — 
the great transport drove bow on into the reef, and 
at last, on the afternoon of August 4th, the Troopers 
were upon hostile soil, hard and fast. 

Instantly upon the stoppage of the "Massachu- 
setts," a period of suffering began for the Troopers, 
in comparison with which all former experiences went 
as nothing. Deprived of all breeze, exposed to a 
torrid sun, half stifled by the fumes from the hun- 
dreds of horses and mules aboard, without water, 
the situation was well nigh unbearable. Up to the 
moment of grounding not an animal aboard had died. 
Within two hours after the motion of the vessel had 
stopped three horses perished, and two more died be- 
fore they could be taken off. Fortunately none 
of these belonged to City Troopers. This suffering 




(E) 



LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 63 

among the animals shows slightly what the men had 
to contend with. 

Captain Groome secured permission to send Lieu- 
tenant Browning ashore to select a camp site, and 
report. He made quick work of it, choosing a spot 
beside the Cathedral de la Carmen, and returning 
with an order from General Miles that the First 
Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, should land at 
once. This order amazed the New York cavalrymen, 
who had been heard to boast frequently that they 
would surely be given the preference in all military 
arrangements. 

The orders were received with great joy by the 
Philadelphians, who were ready to disbark in short 
order, owing to the constant readiness in which they 
had kept. A rope tied about their outfit was all that 
was necessary, and the men were only too eager 
to leave the grounded vessel and its disagreeable 
quarters. 

The Troopers were rescued by the little lighter 
"Whitney," sent by General Miles to bring the 
Philadelphia men ashore. As soon as the Troopers 
reached land themselves they set to work to bring 
their horses off the transport. The air was full of 
rumors that the cavalry were needed in a hurry for 
active service, and the men went at the task of un- 



64 LIFE ABOARD A TROOP SHIP. 

shipping horses with a will. Some amusing attempts 
at interference on the part of the men of C Troop, 
Brooklyn, were simply ignored. 

At three o'clock the next morning sixty-one of 
the one hundred and seven horses belonging to the 
Troop had been landed. The men not on duty had 
gone into the camp selected by Lieutenant Browning 
the day before, on the flagstones outside of the little 
cathedral. All day rain came down in torrents, in- 
troducing the Troopers to the duckings which were 
to be their lot several times each day during their 
stay upon the island. 



CHAPTER VII. 

IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 

THE morning of August 5th broke clear, however, 
and the day was one of the few without rain 
that the Troopers enjoyed while in Puerto Rico. A 
fine breeze was blowing, and the cavalrymen's ideas 
of the country began to take on a roseate hue. 
Everywhere their eyes met deep green tropical foli- 
age and the cute little yellow houses without win- 
dows; strange old churches and curious natives made 
the entire scene appear more like a theatrical setting 
than a reality. 

In the morning before five o'clock the blaring of 
trumpets announced a hurry call. As soon as the 
men came to their senses they heard the non-com- 
missioned officers shouting: "Fall in without arms." 
The Troop never appeared to better advantage. The 
guard, the fourth platoon, tumbled out fully armed, 
and were standing in place in two minutes, and one 
minute later the entire Troop, in column of fours, 
with the captain in command, was double-quicking 
toward the dock. When the men got there, ten or 
fifteen minutes ahead of anyone else except the regu- 



66 /N THE ENEJ/y'S COUNTRY. 

lars, who arrived shortly after the Troop, they found 
that a lighter loaded with five thousand rifles for the 
infantry was sinking close to shore. 

No example of the discipline, which always pre- 
vails in the City Troop, could be more striking than 
the one then witnessed by a score of other com- 
mands, which came rushing, all disorganized, to the 
scene. While the men in other companies were hesi- 
tating and wondering what to do, the City Troop 
broke into regular squads, under the command of the 
non-commissioned officers, and began methodical re- 
lief work. Every rifle was saved. Regular army 
officers on the spot warmly complimented Captain 
Groome upon the showing made by his men. 

That afternoon Captain Groome, with Major 
Flagler and Major McMichael, of General Wilson's 
staff, rode out from Ponce into the country looking 
for a suitable camp site. The heat was intense, the 
dust thick, and a place which would fulfill all require- 
ments was not easily found. The officers kept at it, 
however, until satisfied; although they were in a state 
of complete exhaustion upon their return. Indeed, 
all the men's faces for the first few days in Puerto 
Rico showed plainly the enervating influence of the 
climate, to which they could not easily get accus- 
tomed. Their tasks done, the Troopers would throw 



IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 67 

themselves down upon bales of hay, piles of boards 
or even the pavements, too weary to care where 
they were or how they looked. Men famed for their 
strength and endurance at home, would sit by the 
hour with their heads in their hands, rendered listless 
and weak by the heat and moisture. 

That night again the men spread their blankets 
on the stones outside the cathedral. A citizen placed 
his front porch at the disposal of the Troop as a guard 
house. This furnished protection for the sentries on 
duty from the heavy showers which invariably Oc- 
curred about midnight. 

On Saturday morning more horses were un- 
loaded, and in the afternoon all the men who had 
mounts rode out beyond Ponce, on the highway which 
leads to Barros, to the camp selected by Captain 
Groome. While riding along the Troopers excited 
great interest among the natives because of the size 
of the American horses, in Puerto Rico all the horses 
are small, mere ponies in fact, less than fourteen 
hands high, and the islanders never failed to stare 
with open mouth at the City Troops handsome greys. 
The size of the Troopers themselves also caused 
many expressions of amazement, and as some of the 
broad-shouldered men in the second and third platoons 
passed, the spectators would make admiring signs 



68 IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 

with their hands, indicating the mens heighth and 
breadth. 

The first trial of the horses proved that the sea 
voyage had done them good in one respect. Many 
were suffering from distemper when they left New- 
port News, but there was not a case noticed after the 
animals landed. They were thin, stiff and sore, how- 
ever, so that they were led over most of the six 
miles leading to the new camp. 

Those Troopers still without horses remained 
aboard the " Massachusetts " unloading the seem- 
ingly endless string of horses and mules, and their 
energetic efforts were crowned with success late Sat- 
urday night, when the last of the animals were landed. 
Sunday morning was cool, but cloudy— and as the 
last detail of City Troopers were packing and sad- 
dling their horses, they heard the voice of a priest 
conducting early mass in the tiny cathedral close by. 
The cavalrymen walked with their horses bridles 
over their arms. As they passed through Ponce they 
encountered many scowling faces, but once in the 
country a majority of the natives shouted a welcome. 
By noon they reached the spot chosen for a camp ; 
the Troopers were together again in a magnificent 
bit. of country, blue mountains everywhere, and bril- 
liant, luxurious foliage on all sides. "Hazel" mani- 



IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 69 

fested ar striking fondness for all things Puerto Rican, 
and had to be tied in a rather barren spot to pre- 
vent overfeeding. 

Reveille sounded at four o'clock Monday morn- 
ing, and the packing of saddles began at once. At 
seven o'clock the order came to join with H Troop 
as escort to a train of one thousand mules, head- 
quarter horses, signal and ambulance corps, and as 
quickly as possible to join General Brooke's com- 
mand at Guayama. Mounted for the first time, off 
the Troop went, retracing its steps through a glori- 
ous stretch of country to Ponce, where on the main 
southern road the long supply train for General 
Brooke's army was overtaken. Thus hampered, the 
march became slow, it was terrifically hot, and the 
dust blew about in clouds. At one o'clock the cav- 
alrymen passed through Santa Isabella, where a half 
hours stop was made to bring up the stragglers of 
the mule train, and to take a turn at the hard tack 
and dried beef. 

Then the march began through the enemy's 
country, the City Troop acting as advance guard, 
and H Troop, of the Sixth Regular Cavalry, acting 
as rear guard. Flankers were sent out, and the ad- 
vance guard was frequently informed by natives that 
quite a large number of Spaniards were retreating a 



70 IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 

short distance ahead. The City Troopers came upon 
many signs of the enemy's presence along the road, 
and at four o'clock the Troops went into camp at the 
Hacienda Fortuna, a rich sugar plantation. An outpost 
of City Troopers was immediately established, and all 
barns and outbuildings were thoroughly searched be- 
fore night. 

Just before midnight a hurry call sent six City 
Troopers and six H Troopers, under Captain Groome 
and Lieutenant Ryan, scouring a neighboring cane 
brake for Spaniards, spies having reported their pres- 
ence there in force. No lurking Dons were found, 
however, and at four o'clock the next morning camp 
was broken and the march resumed in dead earnest. 
>The City Troopers acted as rear guard to the train. 
No American troops had passed through this part of 
the island before, and as it was said to be a Spanish 
stronghold, great watchfulness was observed. On 
both sides of the ragged road were cane breaks and 
great growths of underbrush, and it was a tiresome 
ride and no small task looking out for Spaniards, 
stubborn mules and foolish drivers. 

Late that afternoon a camp was reached at the 
foot of the Caney mountains, on the Hacienda Magde- 
lane, an English estate. There the two cavalry troops 
and the tremendous mule train went into camp again. 



AV THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 7 1 

They had passed through Selinas in the early after- 
noon. 

In the blackness of Wednesday morning the roll 
was called at 3.30, and an hour later saw the march 
resumed, with the City Troopers acting as advance 
guard. Lieutenant McFadden commanded the ad- 
vance guard and Corporal Merrill commanded the 
point. Reports of native spies left no doubt as to 
the serious character of the situation, and the march 
was of necessity slow. Every two or three miles 
the sight of small bands of armed Spaniards would 
cause a halt, while out the skirmishers would go to 
report. 

About nine o'clock the point came to a twelve- 
foot bridge, freshly torn up. This was quickly re- 
placed and on the column moved. About 10.30 a few 
shots were heard, which fact was at once reported to 
Captain Groome, who gave orders for the Troop to 
advance at a gallop, in a few minutes the point 
came in sight, talking with armed men, and like a 
flash the word came back through the chain of ad- 
vance supports that the Troop had at last reached 
General Brooke's out-posts, the Fourth Illinois. 

Orders were given Captain Groome to proceed 
through Guayama, toward Arroyo, one mile from 



72 , IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 

which place the Troop went into camp. A few hours 
later H Troop came up and camped alongside. 

Thursday, August nth, was a day of wild 
rumors. All sorts of movements were about to take 
place, according to report, and a majority of the plans 
had some Trooper, who believed in them. From the 
Philadelphia men's camp a Spanish blockhouse could 
be seen on the mountains two miles away. Several 
batteries, encamped near the Troop, wheeled into 
position in the morning and indulged in target prac- 
tice. Many of the Troopers witnessed this stirring 
sight, and returned to camp with the announcement 
'that the practice was superb. The daily rain was 
unusually heavy, and the men turned in early to fight 
the bugs, mosquitoes and stifling heat. 

All conditions were unfavorable to comfort at 
Arroyo. Great clouds would come drifting in from 
the sea toward the mountains, and rain and wind 
would beat in at one side of the Troop's shelter tents. 
Within an hour the clouds would come rolling back 
to the sea, and the wind and rain would besiege 
the opposite side of the tents Thursday night the 
Troopers slept in soaking blankets, inches deep in 
rain and mud. Nothing but good-natured chaffing over 
the discomforts was heard however. 

Friday afternoon the Troopers went in a body to 



IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY. 73 

the beach, about a mile away, and took a dip in the 
Caribbean Sea. Rumors of an engagement close at 
hand kept growing in force, and when a careful in- 
spection of carbines took place upon their return from 
bathing, the Troopers were fully prepared for the orders 
which came to them at retreat that evening, to be 
ready to move in heavy marching order at 5.30 in 
the morning. This was formal notice that a battle 
would take place on the morrow, and members of the 
City and H Troops offered mutual congratulations. 



(FJ 



CHAPTER VIII. 
THE FIGHT THAT FAILED. 

MUCH has been written and more said about 
"the night before the battle." Then it is, 
that sentiment is supposed to seize upon a soldier ; 
thoughts and talks of home, wife and mother are 
proper, and in fact necessary, according to all writers 
of fiction. But even in the face of this traditional 
outline of a soldier's last hours before an engage- 
ment, it must be written that the City Troopers 
retained their characteristic coolness. On that Fri- 
day evening a close observer of the Troopers' camp 
would have supposed that the men were upon familiar 
ground, and that a battle was months in the future, 
instead of being as sure to take place on the morrow 
as anything could be in human foresight. 

All down the line the saddle packing went on 
amid jests and laughter. Had the Troopers been 
preparing for a homeward journey they could not 
have seemed more light-hearted. Few men spoke 
of the coming battle at all, yet it was in every heart, 
and many men felt a lump rise in their throats as 
the popular First Sergeant blurted out these words : 



THE FIGHT THAT FAILED. 75 

" In a scrap like this the cavalry is sure to be heav- 
ily engaged. A good many of us are bound to be 
stopped, and, good God ! just think of digging a hole 
to chuck one of this outfit in." 

Captain Groome paced in front of company head- 
quarters for nearly an hour, with only his inevitable 
cigar as a companion. Dozens of the men watched 
him, and speculated as to his meditations. Lieuten- 
ants Browning and McFadden passed through the 
camp several times, speaking with the men on minor 
matters, and avoiding absolutely all talk of the com- 
ing day. Later m the evening they wrote letters. 

Within an hour after taps the heavy rumbling 
■of artillery began to be heard. Five batteries, num- 
'bering thirty guns, passed near the camp during the 
hours between midnight and four o'clock, and many 
a sleepless Trooper listened anxiously to the bump- 
ing, thumping and rattling as the guns, caissons and 
ammunition wagons kept rolling by. 

When the Troopers tumbled out at four o'clock 
it was pitch dark, and the everlasting rain was de- 
scending in torrents. A few feeble glimmering lanterns 
supplied just enough light to show the rain-filled 
plates, in which bacon and potatoes floated uncon- 
cernedly about. Coffee was consumed in quantities 
that only Troopers know how to master ; and then, in 



76 THE FIGHT THA T FAILED. 

the midst of the darkness and flood, feeding, sad- 
dling and loading of ox carts was accomplished. On 
this morning of battle little attention had been paid 
to uniforming. Some men wore Khaiki breeches, 
others the old familiar blue. Hats and caps of all 
varieties were seen, several men wearing broad straw 
hats secured from the natives. All wore blue shirts 
of various ages and conditions of cleanliness. Sleeves 
were rolled up, and scarcely two men appeared in 
the same kind of boots. The closest friends of the 
Troopers would never have recognized the rain-be- 
draggled warriors as the same men who so often had 
shone resplendent in the streets of Philadelphia as 
the guard of honor of The President or distinguished 
soldiers. 

At last the command came, " Prepare to mount,"" 
and a moment later the cavalrymen had swung into 
the saddle, where they found themselves seated in 
good-sized puddles. The City Troop mounted ninety- 
five men and three officers, the only absentees being 
Privates Wetherill and Rowland, on sick report in 
Philadelphia ; Brooke, in the Red Cross Hospital at 
Ponce, and Trumpeter Brossman, in a hospital at 
Guayama. 

Captain Groome, in a blue silk shirt, Khaiki 
breeches, rode at the head of the column, while on 




o 



THE FIGHT THAT FAILED. 77 

his left rode Lieutenant Browning, in full Khaiki, 
and Lieutenant Ryan, commander of H Troop of the 
Sixth regular cavalry. Behind them came H Troop's 
trumpeter and the City Troop's faithful trumpeter, 
Dick Singer. Then the head of the column, Sergeant 
Wagner, with the guidon, and Sergeant Thibault and 
Private Bower leading the long line of two's. Each 
saddle had a poncho strapped upon it, the carbine 
swung from the off side, saber opposite to the car- 
bine; each man wore a belt of one hundred Krag- 
Jorgensen cartridges, with his revolver strung in his 
belt. On the cantle behind, each man carried his 
blanket wrapped in his half of a shelter tent. 

Without warning the sun came out in all its 
fury, and then occurred the phenomena, often wit- 
nessed there, of rain falling from an apparently clear 
sky. The hot sun made the rain come down much 
like steam, but it ceased to fall after a few minutes. 

At six o'clock the two troops were in Guayama, 
and halted by the Custom Hause, while Captain 
Groome reported to General Brooke for orders. Half 
an hour was spent by the Troopers watching the 
passing of artillery, infantry, hospital and signal 
corps men. Sometime before seven o'clock Captain 
Groome returned with orders to go into line of battle 
and cover the left flank of the Americans. Simul- 



78 THE FIGHT THA T FAILED. 

taneous with the movement of the cavalry the entire 
brigade of four regiments, consisting of the Third 
Ohio, Third Illinois, Fourth Pennsylvania and Sixth 
Illinois, were also off. As the Troop passed along 
the road at a trot it overtook the Sixth Illinois and 
Fourth Pennsylvania. The infantry received orders 
to let the cavalry through, and the mass of sol- 
diers parted. Away at a trot, between this friendly 
gauntlet of cheering infantrymen, the Troopers rode 
amid all sorts of shouts. The foot soldiers thought 
the cavalry was going in to deploy as skirmishers 
and start the fight, so they gave the Troopers a 
good, hearty American cheer, and from each com- 
pany came encouraging yells, such as: "Give them 
bullets, boys!" "We will follow you!" And the 
Fourth Pennsylvania gave three times three for the 
City Troop and Old Pennsylvania. All in all it was 
a moment that the Philadelphia riders will not soon 
forget. 

The Spanish earthworks, as nearly as could be 
made out by the Troopers, were something in the 
form of an S. After a two-mile ride the fresh dirt 
on these trenches was plainly visible, and it seemed 
that a few minutes more riding would bring the Troop 
within the range of the Spaniards. Suddenly the 
course turned abruptly to the left and the Troop 



THE FIGHT THA T FAHED. 79 

came upon Major General Brooke and his staff, stand- 
ing on a little hill to the right of the road, waiting for 
the artillery to get into position. Captain Groome 
reported to General Brooke, and received orders to 
take the two troops of cavalry into an adjoining field, 
to dismount the men and unsaddle the horses. There, 
surrounded by beautiful tropical flowers and heavy 
foliage, the men awaited the boom of the cannon, 
which had been agreed upon as the signal for open- 
ing the battle. 

Strangely out of place looked the grim weapons 
and warlike trappings in that garden spot. Beneath 
the towering palm and rubber trees, amid hundreds 
of crimson blossoms the Philadelphia men gathered 
in groups to discuss the outlook, while their horses 
grazed at their feet. 

it began to rain again about eleven o'clock, a 
dark, steaming drizzle. In the midst of it Mr. Davies, 
of the New York Siin, came over to inspect the cav- 
alry. He informed Captain Groome that Major Red- 
mond, in charge of the artillery, had just announced 
that he would open fire in a half hour. 

A look down the line of the City Troopers 
at this crucial moment revealed still an absolutely 
amazing indifference to the conflict now all but upon 
them — most of their men were asleep. The three 



8o THE FIGHT THA T FAILED. 

officers were sitting by the roadside chatting together 
a couple of hundred feet away from the remainder 
of the Troop. At the head of the column, with 
his arm through his bridle rein, lay Sergeant Wagner 
asleep. Sergeant Martin and Private Robb were 
entertaining a dozen or so of the men with an argu- 
ment as to the relative charms of a Philadelphia girl 
and a native girl, "fat, black and greasy, with a 
cigar stuck in her face." A little farther back, sit- 
ting on the ground, was Harry Riley, holding the big 
bay mule he had been riding since reaching the island ; 
he was quiet, but the mule was not. Next came a 
group composed of Billy Bates, whose beautiful little 
grey was lying at his feet like a faithful dog, Charlie 
Smith, Hecksher, Cliff Pemberton, Harry Godfrey, 
Bromley Wharton, the two Warden boys, Fred Neil- 
son and "Doug" Jacobs. Charlie Smith was invit- 
ing them all to lunch with him on the mountain where 
the Spaniards were encamped. Coulston and Wood- 
man were talking Spanish to each other, and Mills 
and Wheeler were asleep. Way in front were Jim 
Starr and Frank Bower, standing on a knoll and try- 
ing to see the batteries get into position, while Carroll 
Smyth, George McFadden and Charlie Brinton went 
about among the different groups distributing crackers. 
In a near-by field a corps of field telegraph opera- 



THE FIGHT THAT FAILED. 8 1 

tors could be seen stringing their wires from tree to 
tree,, and at times making use of the wire fences for 
continuing their lines. 

About one o'clock Lieutenant Reynolds rode into 
camp at a furious rate and gave an order to General 
Brooke, who was standing in the road about three 
hundred yards to the right of the Troopers camp. 
At once the assembly sounded, and with many a 
sternly muttered, "At last," the City Troopers 
mounted and took their places. 

Lieutenant Browning rode up, and all ears were 
strained to catch the order to advance. The lieu- 
tenant looked as if he was thoroughly disgusted with 
life, as in a calm tone he said : " The men will fall in 
and ride back to camp ; General Miles has ordered all 
military operations to cease." . 

Oh, hell !" exclaimed a Trooper near the lieu- 
tenant, throwing down his carbine as the pent up 
disappointment and suspense in his heart sought ex- 
pression almost involuntarily. This forcible excla- 
mation, and more particularly the tone in which it 
was uttered, seemed to represent the feelings of the 
entire Troop. 

Listlessly the men mounted, grumbled "one, 
two, three, four," and sought a new camping ground 
at Hacienda De Placida. A more downcast lot of men 



82 THE FIGHT THA T FAH.ED. 

than turned in that Saturday night, of August 13th, 
would be hard to find. By night it was told through 
camp how a messenger, on a played-out horse, had 
reached General Brooke with the order from General 
Miles, just as the gunners of Battery B, of Pittsburgh, 
had their hands on the lanyards awaiting General 
Brooke's orders to pull and give the signal for attack. 
Mr. Davies, of the New York Sun, afterward told Cap- 
tain Groome that General Brooke had given the mes- 
senger a scanty welcome, and had remarked that 
he might have spared his horse a little, although his 
haste undoubtedly saved many lives. 



CHAPTER IX. 
AFTER THE BATTLE. 

SUNDAY morning Captain Scott brought an order 
to Captain Groome to send a commissioned offi- 
cer, a sergeant and six privates to establish an out- 
post two miles beyond the farthest infantry outpost, 
and to maintain a flag of truce. This outpost was 
necessary because of the general fear of Spanish 
treachery. The Spaniards had a white flag flying 
over their blockhouse, but there was no telling at 
what moment they might pull it down and charge into 
the American ranks ; so the watchers at the outpost 
were entrusted with an important duty. The detail 
first selected was in charge of Lieutenant Browning, 
who took with him Sergeant Glendinning, Corporal 
Thayer and Privates S. and W. Goodman, Straw- 
bridge, Wheeler, Mills and Ridgeway. Captains Scott 
and Groome accompanied the detail to select the 
ground for the outpost. 

As the men were about to start, it was found 
that they had nothing to serve as a flag of truce. 
Captain Groome informed Captain Scott that the 
Troop was just out of such articles, and for a moment 



84 AFTER THE BA TTLE. 

the officers were at a loss to know what to do. A 
handkerchief was too small and too frail, but sud- 
denly Lieutenant Browning had an inspiration. His 
wife had supplied the officers' mess with some fine, 
large napkins. One of these was therefore pressed 
into service as a flag of truce, and the detachment 
rode forth. It was early morning, and the rain was 
pelting down as usual. 

On through the town, along the road the troops 
had tramped ready for the fray, around the mountain 
side, "past the place Rodney had planted his batteries, 
past the pickets, past the last infantry outpost, under 
a ridge dotted with Spanish sentries, the detachment, 
with the now historic napkin, went on until, coming 
around a sharp turn in the road, they saw a mile and 
a half across the valley the Spanish outpost with its 
flag of truce already up. 

Then the little band of Troopers halted and 
chopped down a stout sapling. To this they lashed 
the flag of truce for the American army, and set up 
the pole in a little clearing. Two Troopers were left 
on guard, while the rest retired a couple of hundred 
yards around a bend in the road and put up the little 
dog tents, beginning at once the routine work of a 
vidette outpost. The flag was pitched squarely upon 
the top of the mountain, so that it rained there con 



AFTER THE BATTLE. 85 

tinually, but the discomforts were swallowed up in a 
sense of the responsibility felt by all on duty there. 

The six men were divided in pairs, and each 
pair stood guard by the fluttering flag as vidette for 
two hours and then rested four, throughout the day 
and night. Through field glasses the Spanish troops 
could be plainly seen standing on guard or idling 
about the trenches. 

Thirty minutes after the flag first went up a 
group of Spanish officers were seen approaching. As 
they came nearer it was plain that the party con- 
sisted of a general and six aids. Captain Scott ad- 
vanced to meet the Spaniards, and was informed that 
the general carried a message for General Brooke. 
The Spaniard declined to entrust the message to Cap- 
tain Scott. Captain Groome was informed of the 
difficulty, and at once galloped back to the Ameri- 
can camp, returning in a short time with General 
Sheridan and others of General Brooke's staff. After 
much formality the Spanish general delivered his 
message to General Sheridan and ceremoniously re- 
tired. 

At eight o'clock the next day Lieutenant Ryan 
and a like detachment from H Troop relieved Lieu- 
tenant Browning. The next day Lieutenant Mc- 
Fadden, with Sergeant Bates, Corporal Butcher and 

(G) 



86 AFTER THE BA TTLE. 

Privates Green, Newbold, Wilson, Fell, Woodman 
and Armstrong relieved the H men. The day fol- 
lowing, at eight o'clock, Lieutenant Heiberg and his 
detachment of regulars, and relieving them on the 
morrow went Lieutenant Browning, Sergeant Smith, 
Corporal Thibault and Privates Jacobs, Wharton, 
Neilson, Barclay, Cramp and Shober. Thus, as in 
all cavalry work for General Brooke's army at Guay- 
ama, H Troop and the City Troop took share and 
share alike. 

Meantime the Troopers, in camp near Guayama, 
had little besides routine duty to keep them occupied. 
The rainy season was on hand with a vengeance. 
Day and night, with but slight intervals of clear 
weather, it rained and poured. Good-sized creeks 
would be formed in a half hour by the floods of rain, 
and these little streams seemed always aimed straight 
at the Troopers' camp. To change clothing was use- 
less, and at times it was impossible to obtain dry gar- 
ments. Flannel shirts would be spread out in the 
hot sun to dry at eleven o'clock, and at half-past 
they would be lying in pools of water, getting more 
thoroughly drenched each minute. 

Since leaving the United States, a wonderful 
change had taken place in the appearance of the City 
Troopers. At the time of sailing from Newport News, 



AFTER THE BA TTLE. 87 

all the cavalrymen were bronzed and weather beaten. 
After but little more than two weeks in southern 
Puerto Rico, exposed daily to natural steam baths 
and kept in a constant state of perspiration, the 
men were bleached out. Faces once ruddy became 
as white as paper, and all the men had lost rapidly 
in weight. 

The horses, too, showed the effect of the tropical 
climate. When herded together there was not one 
head that did not droop, and their eyes were without 
spirit. The change in men and beasts had come 
quickly, but until after it was known that hostilities 
were over the Troopers had been too busy to notice 
the change in one another. 

Each day the horses had to be herded, and the 
tidings that an animal had broken away and must be 
pursued was always hailed with delight, as the chase 
was a welcome break in the slow camp life. 

As there was a splendid beach about three miles 
from the camp at Guayama, and about the same dis- 
tance from Arroyo, Captain Groome issued orders to 
the City Troopers for one platoon to bathe in the 
morning, each day, and a second platoon in the after- 
noon. At the beach the trees and foliage extended 
clear to the water's edge. In some places the water 
was deep right from the tree line, but there were 



88 AFTER THE BA TTLE. 

three or four sand bars that extended way out, so 
that a bather could walk as far out in the water at 
some points as at Atlantic City. There was always 
a heavy surf at the beach, that made bathing a good 
sport. 

It was also great fun to take the horses into 
the surf. At first the greys did not take kindly to 
surf bathing, but under the wise guidance of their 
riders they soon were taught that waves would not 
hurt them, and in some of the deep water places 
they quickly learned to take long swims with the 
Troopers. 

In all their manoeuvres in Puerto Rico, the City 
Troopers were divided into four platoons. No drills 
were held, but, as a matter of record, the Roster 
of the Troop at this period of the campaign is here 
given, passing from right to left in the line : 

Captain, John C. Groome. 

First Lieutenant, Edward Browning. 

Second Lieutenant, J. Frank McFadden. 

FIRST PLATOON. 

Right Squad.— 'itxgtz.vX, Frederic Thibault; Privates, Frank 
Bower, Alfred Pardee, Alfred Bright, Thomas Cadwalader, H. 
Percy Glendinning, Thomas Robb, Jr., Henry J. Wetherill, 
T. Wallis Huidekoper, Edward Gregg ; Corporal, J. Houston 
Merrill. 



AFTER THE BA TTLE. 89 

Left Squad. — ?x\vaits, Edward E. Stetson, Charles 
Wheeler, Edward Rawle, William I. Forbes, William West, 
Williams Biddle Cadwalader, Charles C. Brinton, Frank A. 
Janney, James De Kay, Edward Cann ; Corporal, Adolph G. 
Rosengarten. 

SECOND PLATOON. 

Right Sguad.—'StxgtanU^^WWam H. Hart; Privates, Robert 
Fell, William Farr, Samuel K. Reeves, Thomas J. Orbison, 
Samuel Goodman, Jr., Henry S. Godfrey, Clifford Pember- 
ton, Jr., Maitland Armstrong, George Wilson ; Corporal, Gustav 
A. Heckscher, 

Left Sqiiad.—?x\wa{ts, N. B. Warden, Stuart Wheeler, 
M. G. Rosengarten, J. Warren Coulston, Jr., Charles Coates, 
James M. Rhodes, Jr., Francis C. Green, John Conygham 
Stevens, John Zimmerman, Norman Risley ; Corporal, Samuel 
Chew. 

THIRD PLATOON. 

Right Squad.— 'Stvgt2LX\{, William E. Bates ; Privates, Ed- 
ward Lord, Henry G. Woodman, C. King Lennig, Trenchard 
Newbold, Thomas Ridgway, Benjamin B. Reath, Carroll Smyth, 
James Starr, Edward Brooke ; Corporal, George C. Thayer. 

Left Squad. — Privates, John Strawbridge, William E. 
Goodman, Jr., William G. Warden, Jr., George L. Farnum, 
J. Clifford Rosengarten ; Hospital Steward, William H. Cornell ; 
Privates, S. Frederick Mills, Francis Rawle, Edward B. Cor- 
nell; Corporal, Henry C. Butcher, Jr. 

FOURTH PLATOON. 

Right 6"^«a^. — Sergeant, Charles H. Smith; Privates, 
George H. McFadden, Jr., Harry C. Barclay, Reginald H. 
Shober, Francis L. Cramp, Carroll Hodge, H. Austin Smith, 
Ward Brinton, Edward Rogers, Charles B. Lewis ; Corporal, 
Francis A. Thibault. 



QO AFTER THE BA TTLE. 

Left Squad. — Privates, Herman A. Denckla, Henry 
Drinker Riley, Edward C. Taylor, W. B. Duncan Smith, 
Bromley Wharton, Lightner Witmer, Frederick B. Neilson, 
Douglas H.Jacobs; Commissary Corporal, A. Mercer Biddle; 
Corporal, Alexander W. Wister, Jr. 

Private Ranson, Farrier. 

Private Newlin, Cook. 

Private Kirk, Cook. 

Private Gibbons, Saddler. 

Private Halbustadt, Wagoner. 

Private Nilon, Blacksmith. 

Trumpeter, Brossman. 

Trumpeter, R. Singer. 

Stable Sergeant, John Wagner, Jr. 

Ordnance Sergeant, Robert E. Glendinning. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant, Dr. William C. Lott. 

First Sergeant, J. Willis Martin. 

While the Troopers were in camp at Guayama, 
under orders from General Brooke, they clianged 
their old style of camp life a little by using a number 
of large hospital tents, loaned by General Brooke's 
headquarters, which were occupied by six or seven 
men each, instead of the little dog tents intended for 
two men. The larger tents made life more bearable 
during the heavy rains, and were greatly appreciated 
by all. 

Although each duty was taken up with uniform 
cheerfulness, and nothing was slighted, it soon be- 
came evident that for the first time there was a 
unanimous desire on the part of the City Troopers, 



AFTER THE BATTLE. 9^ 

now that peace was assured, to get home as quickly 
as possible. So there was great rejoicing when, on 
Thursday morning, August 25th, Captain Groome re- 
ceived orders to proceed at once to Ponce with the 
Troop, there to take passage for New York. Just 
before this order came, a detachment of Troopers had 
gone from camp on a hunt after Spanish guerrillas. 
They were promptly recalled by General Brooke's 
command. 

The packing of saddles and stowing away of tents 
was attended to with a will, and on Friday morning 
the march of thirty-seven miles to Ponce was begun. 
This distance was to be made in two stages, as 
marching was slow at the best with skirmishers out, 
and the weather was so sultry that for most of the 
distance the men trudged along on foot, leading their 
horses. 

Although buoyed up by the prospect of soon 
seeing home and friends again, the Troopers found 
the first day's march the hardest work they had 
undertaken since enlistment. Spaniards could be 
seen in the hills all about, and a close outlook had to 
be kept. The march led through deep cuts in the 
road, where there was not a breath of air stirring, 
where the terrific heat seemed determined to beat 
to the ground all living things that ventured to brave 



92 AFTER THE BA TTLE. 

its fury. Rain — hot, steam-like rain — alternated with 
the blazing sun, and uniforms were one hour drenched 
with rain, the next hour dried by the sun, and a few 
moments later soaking wet with perspiration. 

At midday a halt was made at the same planta- 
tion visited on the way out. There was a grove of 
what the Troopers styled "United States trees," 
and in its shade they lay around and ate canned 
stuff and dried their clothes. Then the tramp was 
resumed with all its fatigue, and at night a camp fire 
was built on another sugar plantation. Three of the 
men living there spoke English, and the first use of it 
they made was to notify Captain Groome that a 
number of the laborers were sick with small pox, and 
that the spot selected for a camp was particularly in- 
fected. 

The Captain had quite a consultation with vari- 
ous people before selecting the final camping ground, 
and the weary Troopers had no sooner attended to 
their horses than they dropped off to sleep. Like 
dead men they lay in their blankets, totally oblivi- 
ous of the swarms of mosquitoes which gathered 
about them, or of the land crabs, little snakes and 
other queer creatures that all night long crawled over 
their bodies in a familiarly inquiring rnanner. 

The second day began with a cool shower, which 



AFTER THE BA TTLE. 93 

left the atmosphere in a splendid condition, and the 
advance was more rapid. While all the men had 
been supplied with Khaiki uniforms, it was notice- 
able that on this last day's march in the enemy's 
country a majority clung to the blue. A short rest 
was taken at midday. Late in the afternoon the 
heavens began to let loose a flood of rain, and 
streams sprang up beneath the feet of the cavalry- 
men. Twenty minutes after the Troopers passed the 
bridge leading to Playa de Ponce, the structure was 
swept away by a raging torrent one hundred feet 
wide. At nightfall the City Troopers had just put 
up their small tents and gone into camp for the 
night, when, at g.30 P. M., the signal service sent 
word to Captain Groome that the tents would have 
to come up and the men get away quickly, as a 
river would soon be rolling over the spot where the 
Troopers were preparing to turn in. Indeed, by the 
time the warning came, trickling streams innumer- 
able were sweeping through the field below the 
camp. Assembly was sounded, and in forty-five 
minutes tents were struck, bags packed, horses sad- 
dled, four wagons loaded, and the Troop moved out. 
When the tents were first pitched, it was the inten- 
tion of the Troopers to name the camp after Hugh 
Craig, Jr., but this idea was given up after the mes- 



94 . AFTER THE BATTLE. 

sage from the signal corps, and the name ^^ Mala 
Aqua'' — wicked .water — substituted. Mr. Craig's 
name was afterward bestowed upon the last camp 
occupied by the Troopers on foreign soil. 

No sheltered spot could be found that night after 
the retreat from the oncoming river, so the Troopers 
philosophically wrapped themselves in their blankets 
and lay down in the streets of Playa, unmindful o.f 
the beating rain. Despite the downpour there were 
soon a number of fires burning about the camp, for 
the Philadelphia men had become experts in the art 
of getting a cheery blaze out of wet wood, and damp 
matches no longer possessed any terrors. 

While the men slept on the pavement, their 
horses were tied to logs along the curb. Some of 
the Troopers induced their mounts to lie down and 
be used as pillows, it was a strange sight, more 
picturesque than it was comfortable for the men who 
made up the tableau, if any one incident in the 
campaign could be said to illustrate better than 
another the clean grit which actuated every move of 
the Troopers, this night spent in the streets of Playa, 
amid drenching rain, would probably be selected by 
a historian. 

in the morning Captain Groome marched the 
Troopers into "Dolorales" lumber yard, where the 



AFTER THE BATTLE. 95 

sheds, roofed over with galvanized iron, looked ex- 
tremely inviting to the rain-soaked men. Blankets 
were spread on the top of lumber piles, under the roof, 
and perched up there the Troopers were sheltered 
from the alternate sun and showers. 

For one week there was a hard struggle to kill 
time. There was nothing to do but look after the 
horses, and no place to go. Several times members 
of the Troop took carriage rides about the city, and 
had all the points of interest explained by guides. 
Hope was high in the hearts of officers and men alike 
that a start for Philadelphia could be made by Sep- 
tember ist, but the first came and still no orders. 
Relief was close at hand, however, for on Friday, 
September 2d, orders came to turn the Troop's horses 
and equipments over to the headquarter olit^icers at 
Ponce, and to embark the Troopers upon the trans- 
port "Mississippi," which was lying a half mile out 
in the harbor. 

Before turning over the horses to other hands, 
the old greys were given a careful rub down, and 
then a thorough cleaning was bestowed upon halters, 
bridles, carbines, scabbards, sabers, pistols and hol- 
sters. The Troopers were complimented upon the 
condition of their mounts, for they came out of the 
campaign much the best of any other horses, al- 



96 AFTER THE BATTLE. 

though admittedly they had been given the hardest 
work to do. 

While there was naturally much regret expressed 
by the cavalrymen at parting with the horses and 
equipments, which had formed so close a part of their 
lives during the summer, yet there was a bright side 
to the matter, inasmuch as the Troopers on their 
homeward trip were saved most of their hard work. 
No longer were they obliged to feed and water their 
horses twice a day, and do stable duty each morn- 
ing ; they were also rid of all the tugging on and off 
of lighters, transports and trains of saddles and equip- 
ments, and they were through spending their spare 
moments polishing up the numerous small belongings 
of a Trooper. In the turning over of all these things 
there was a great relief. 

All day Friday A and C Troops, of New York; 
the Governor's and Sheridan Troops, of Pennsylvania ; 
and Pennsylvania A Battery, loaded the transport 
with their horses. Finally at six o'clock in the after- 
noon, the City Troop, their canvas and commissary 
having been lightered to the ship, fell in and marched 
to the dock. At eight o'clock Captain Groome 
ordered them on a big lighter, and drawn by the tug 
"Sarah," of Philadelphia, they went out in the harbor 
to the "Mississsippi." There, with blanket rolls 



AFTER THE BA TTLE. 97 

over one shoulder, and haversacks and saddlebags 
over the other, they tumbled up the ladder to the 
deck of the slow, but comparatively commodious 
transport. Not until midnight did General Wilson's 
headquarter horses get aboard, and the vessel was 
soon afterward steering for New York. No demon- 
stration was made during the embarking of the troops. 
The cavalrymen were too tired to do any cheering 
themselves, even at the thought of home. The 
natives about the dock did some cheering, but as 
they were always ready to hurrah over anything, 
their yells did not particularly inspire the departing 
soldiers. 

The City Troop had its quarters forward on the 
"Mississippi," with A Battery alongside and A Troop 
on the deck below. This was pleasant all around, as 
the New York and Philadelphia Troopers were the 
best of friends, and in addition the Troopers had 
many friends in the Philadelphia battery. 

For this ocean trip of one thousand, three hundred 
and ninety miles the City Troopers were better pre- 
pared than on their voyage to Ponce. Of course, 
there were great hardships to be endured, but the 
commissary had laid in a supply of ice, so that the 
drinking water could be kept at a reasonable tempera- 
ture, and the men had gained enough experience to 



98 AFTER THE BA TTLE. 

hustle for good sleeping places on deck and not 
bother with the hammocks. 

The old transport averaged about two hundred 
miles a day, which seemed particularly slow to the 
impatient Troopers. At the time the "Mississippi" 
had been forty-eight hours out, it became clear that 
the sea voyage was doing all the cavalrymen a vast 
deal of good ; the unhealthy pallor, induced by trop- 
ical weather, began to wear off, and the men felt 
that they would be in good condition to receive the 
welcome which they knew was awaiting them. 

Daily routine aboard ship was established as 
follows: Reveille at 6 o'clock, stables at 6.30, mess 
at 7, sick at 8, fatigue at 8.30, guard mount at 9, 
mess at 12, and again at 6, tattoo at 9, and taps at 
9.30. 

Fair weather remained with the "Mississippi" 
throughout the entire trip. Guidons of each troop 
aboard were affixed to the foremast head. 



L.ofC. 



CHAPTER X. 

HOAIE AGAIN. 

FROM the time the Jersey coast was sighted the 
Troopers began to realize how glad they really 
were to get back home. Early on the morning of 
Saturday, September loth, the "Mississippi" passed 
Sandy Hook, and was soon cleaving the waters of 
New York Bay. It was rather misty, and objects at 
any great distance were very obscure. The Philadel- 
phia cavalrymen were often obliged to smile at the airs 
which some of the members of the New York and Brook- 
lyn troops assumed as they found themselves in familiar 
waters. The men of Gotham boasted much of the 
fine reception which they felt sure was in store for 
them, and looked rather pityingly upon the Philadel- 
phia cavalrymen. When, through the mist, a tug was 
made out, with flags flying, approaching the "Mis- 
sissippi" at full speed, several of the New Yorkers 
pointed to it and said to the Quaker City men, "Here 
comes the advance guard of our escort." 

While the tug was still too much surrounded by 
mist to make out her identity, there came floating 
from her deck the ringing notes of a bugle. At the 



100 HOME AGAIN. 

first sound the Philadelphia Troopers became all at- 
tention, and a moment later the air of the Troop 
march — strains known to City Troopers for two gen- 
erations — could be clearly distinguished. 

"It's our friends," shouted the City Troopers 
with glee, while the New York riders did not attempt 
to conceal their surprise at the fact that citizens of 
their city had been out-generaled by the Philadelphia 
visitors in the effort to give the first greeting to the 
returning Troopers. 

But while the later recruits among the Troopers 
shouted "It's our friends," the older members cried 
out, "It's Ellis Pugh," for they knew almost by in- 
stinct from whose lips had come the welcoming blast. 
Dick Singer was upon the deck with his bugle in a 
twinkling, and tooted back a response. Nearer and 
nearer the two vessels approached, until at last the 
two buglers joined together in the long final note. 

Then other tugs appeared — six in all — five of 
which were filled with enthusiastic Philadelphians. 
The Troopers crowded to the rail and occupied all 
points of vantage in the rigging. Up the bay the 
transport and her shrieking escort continued their 
course. From the whistle of every vessel met there 
came a welcome, until the din became almost deafen- 
ing. 



HOME AGAIN. lOI 

While the health officer boarded the transport, 
friends on the tugs and troop ship yelled greetings 
back and forth. A port hole in the "Mississippi" 
was opened, and an avalanche of boxes and bottles 
poured into the hands of the soldiers aboard. The 
moment quarantine was raised, there was a general 
scramble of male visitors onto the deck of the trans- 
port, followed by a whirlwind of affectionate greet- 
ings. Fathers proudly hugged their, brawny, dirt- 
stained sons ; chums and brothers shook each others 
hands off. 

Soon there came along another tug, and Gov- 
ernor Hastings and Major Richardson clambered over 
the rail amid loud cheers of the Pennsylvanians. 
And so the big reception went on until the "Missis- 
sippi" pulled into dock at Jersey City. There the 
cavalrymen looked down from the high decks upon a 
sea of men and women, the great majority of whom 
were Philadelphians. The hospital train was run in 
on a siding right under the ship, and the sick were 
unloaded with but little delay. 

Meanwhile, Captain Groome had accepted an in- 
vitation from the Philadelphia Councils Committee, 
to participate in a public reception upon the Troop's 
arrival home, and word to that effect was telegraphed 
to Mayor Warwick. The Troopers partook of a light 



102 HOME AGAIN. 

lunch before unloading their camp equipage, and after 
two hours hard work the last piece of canvas was 
loaded on the cars, and late in the afternoon they 
finally found themselves rolling rapidly homeward 

In the New York Sun, the day after the City 
Troop's arrival, there appeared the following para- 
graph by a reporter of reputation, who had been in 
Puerto Rico during the campaign : 

"In commissariat, general intelligence and knowl- 
edge of tactics, the First City Troop of Philadelphia 
outranked any volunteers I saw at the front. They 
were the only company to take a water filter with 
them, so were the only men to drink pure water. 
They were the only soldiers with forethought enough 
to provide salt, mustard and the other little things 
that help make army rations palatable. Then they 
knew how to cook. They kept their camp clean. 
They kept their horses in good condition, in fact they 
neglected nothing, and shirked no duty, no matter 
how disagreeable. So much for the dude soldier." 

It was eight o'clock when the train bearing the 
City Troopers, every man ready and fit for duty, 
came puffing into the Broad Street Station. Outside 
the building and along Broad, Chestnut and Market 
Streets, the route over which it had been planned to 
have the cavalrymen march, dense throngs packed 



HOME AGAIN. 103 

the sidewalks, and were only kept from the streets 
by ropes in charge of hundreds of policemen. 

Captain Groome was the first man to alight from 
the cars, and he was at once requested by General 
Morrell and Director Riter to permit a street parade 
of the command before going to Horticultural Hall, 
where a banquet had been prepared. The Captain 
said his men would be pleased to do anything the 
Reception Committee wished, and the line was im- 
mediately formed for parade. Police horses had been 
secured and were on hand for the Troopers. 

The procession was led by a file of mounted 
policemen and carriages containing the Citizen's Re- 
ception Committee, which had gone to New York 
to meet the Troop. Following them came the Third 
Regiment Band and the Second City Troop. Last 
of all came the veterans in their Khaiki uniforms, 
and cheer after cheer went up everywhere as they 
came into view, mingled with enthusiastic shouts of 
"Here comes the Rough Riders!" 

Up Broad Street, through an endless multitude, 
the procession moved, through brilliant displays of 
fireworks and past brightly illuminated residences. 
On Chestnut Street the scene was repeated with 
the added effect of booming cannon from the roof of 
the Union Republican Club. Down Chestnut to 



104 HOME AGAIN. 

Eighth, and up Eighth to Market, and thence to the 
City Hall, the Troop passed, and when Horticultural 
Hall was reached the riders had the satisfaction of 
knowing that they had participated in the greatest 
parade ever given by the Troop in its century and a 
quarter of existence. 

As the Troop drew up in front of the hall, amid 
wild cheering, the men dismounted and turned the 
horses over to the mounted police. The men then 
filed into the banquet room between lines of the 
Battery A men, who stood at " Present arms," 
While standing at their designated seats Mayor 
Warwick addressed the Troopers as follows : 

"Welcome home ! We are here to-night to greet 
you with all our hearts. God bless you, and God 
keep you. The Republic is proud of you, and the 
city thrown open to you." 

While the cavalrymen were eating, their rela- 
tions and friends crowded in upon them. There was 
much laughing and much hand-shaking. The men 
had all been granted a sixty-day furlough, and they 
took their time about punishing the good things, leav- 
ing the hall at a late hour in groups of two's and 
three's — home at last. 

Within a short time after their return, and be- 
fore their muster-out, the Troopers participated in a 



HOME AGAIN. 105 

number of interesting events. Several receptions and 
dinners were given in their lionor by individuals and 
clubs, and the one hundred and twenty-fourth anni- 
versary of the Troop's organization was celebrated. 
The cavalrymen took a leading part in the military 
parade, on the second day of the Jubilee Celebra- 
tion, October 27th. President McKinley reviewed the 
parade, and as the tradition of the Troop required that 
its members should act as the President's escort while 
in the city, the following Honorary members of the 
Troop were appointed to act in that capacity : Cap- 
tain General E. Burd Grubb, Captain Joseph Lapsley 
Wilson, Captain Edmund H. McCullough, First Lieu- 
tenant James Rawle, Second Lieutenant Major J. Ed- 
ward Carpenter, Second Lieutenant Frank E. Patter- 
son, Second Lieutenant Edward K. Bispham, Cornet 
Charles E. Kelly, Cornet Richard Tilghman, Surgeon 
J. William White, Surgeon John B. Shober, Surgeon 
Charles H. Frazier, Quartermaster Hugh Craig, Jr. 

All of these occurrences were joyous occasions, 
but one day in October the Troopers were called 
upon to perform a duty which saddened every heart. 
On that day, for the first time since the outbreak of 
hostilities, there was a voice missing at roll call which 
would never respond again. Stuart Wheeler had 
fallen a victim to typhoid fever, contracted while in 



I06 HOME AGAIN. 

Puerto Rico, and to the grave of this lost comrade 
the Troopers marched in silent sorrow to pay the last 
military respects. 

Mr. Wheeler had seemed in good health upon 
his arrival in the United States after the campaign, 
and, with several friends, had gone upon a hunting 
trip in the Maine woods. There the fever seized him, 
and he died a few days after his removal to a Boston 
hospital. 

Of the departed young hero, the Troopers will 
ever speak with affection and praise, in college he 
was an unusually earnest student, on the athletic fields 
he won laurels that will long remain green, at home he 
was a loving son and brother, with the Troop he 
showed the mettle of a gallant soldier. He died for 
his country — as surely as though his body had been 
found on a Puerto Rican battlefield, pierced with a 
Spanish bullet. 

At noon on the eleventh day of November, the 
City Troopers gathered at their armory to bid fare- 
well to the United States Volunteer service. Their 
sixty-day furlough had expired, and while there was 
not one who would have hesitated to re-enlist should 
need arise, it is safe to say that none were sorry that 
the moment for ending their terms as warriors had 



HOME AGAIN. 107 

arrived. Six men were unable to be present because 
of sickness. 

Lieutenant B. F. Hughes, of tiie Tenth U. S. 
Cavalry, was on hand to muster-out the men, all of 
whom were first obliged to report to Doctors Spelissy 
and Brinton for physical examinations. 

For a week preceding Captain Groome had made 
every preparation calculated to expedite the work, 
and before the men were drawn up for roll call, 
all the muster-out rolls, the descriptive lists and dis- 
charge papers had been prepared for the mustering 
officer. Even the computations of pay for each man 
had been figured out. As soon as each Trooper had 
received his physical examination he was dismissed 
until the following Monday. On the morning of that 
day discharge papers and pay were ready for all the 
Troopers, and so far as they were concerned the war 
was over. 

It was not until twenty days later that the 
Spanish Commissioners, in Paris, agreed to accept the 
American terms, and surrendered to the United States 
240,110 square miles of territory, with a population 
estimated at 9,500,000. A treaty of peace between 
the nations was then prepared. Practically, how- 
ever, peace had existed since that day in August 



io8 



HOME AGAIN. 



when but a few minutes separated the City Troopers' 
bivouac, in a field of flowers, from a charge which 
would have made desolate hundreds of homes. 




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